GAMEDAY: Jets at Canadiens

MONTREAL -Paul Maurice won't make any changes to the Winnipeg Jets' line-up as they prepare to meet the Montreal Canadiens (10-6-6) in the second game of a two-game mini-series between the two clubs.
After all, his team's win on Thursday was Winnipeg's third straight win over Montreal this season - and fourth straight dating back to last season, which is a first in franchise history.
Still, that doesn't mean the Jets want a carbon copy of the victory on Thursday. There are some areas they want to clean up.

The Jets (15-7-1) outshot Montreal 10-9 in the opening 20 minutes to take a 2-0 lead, but saw that lead evaporate in the second period as the Canadiens fired 13 shots toward Connor Hellebuyck. Winnipeg only mustered five shots on goal in that middle frame.
Jets forward Andrew Copp said the Jets expect a pushback from the opposition in a situation like that, but he also felt Winnipeg fed into Montreal's transition game after a successful first period.
"We were buzzing so good in the first the other night, plays were being made all over the offensive zone," said Copp. "Then you see something in the neutral zone in the second - and because we have a lot of confidence, we're feeling the puck, we're feeling good, we're feeling we're in control of the game - then one extra play turns into a two-on-one the other way. Now we're behind it.
"A few of those later and all of a sudden we're in the D-zone for most of the period."
The solution to that is a phrase that Maurice has often mentioned - have the confidence to notmake the play. By keeping the game direct, it takes away Montreal's ability to get their transition game into full flight.
"They look to knock that stuff down in the neutral zone and quick counter the other way," said Copp. "That's when you have to have the confidence to stay with what you're doing instead of continue to try and get more, and get more. That's when it comes to bite you."

Copp was one of the Jets to take the option of not skating in this morning's pre-game skate at Bell Centre.
It will be balance all the players on the squad will try to find as they make their way through the 17 games on the March calendar.
Come puck drop though, he'll be on the left wing alongside Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton.
The rest of the Jets projected line-up is expected to look like this:
Stastny-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Dubois-Ehlers
Copp-Lowry-Appleton
Perreault-Thompson-Lewis
Morrissey-Poolman
Forbort-Pionk
Beaulieu-DeMelo
Montreal comes into Saturday's game with one win in their last six games. Forward Josh Anderson is a game-time decision - he's missed the last three games with a lower-body injury.
Despite the stumbles over the last six games, the Canadiens continue to be one of the league's leaders in shots on goal per game. Only once in the last six outings have they had less than 32 shots.
That makes the area in front of the Jets net an important area to defend, even more so than on a normal night.
"So when it is shot to the net, that's a potential change of possession, right? They had it, they shot, and we want to be the team that touches it first," said Maurice. "Montreal is very, very quick, they get under sticks and even if you touch it first they're really good at stripping you. I thought in the first we had a real high energy level with that, I thought we touched it, moved it, got our game going forward."
That was another aspect of Thursday's game Maurice would like to see cleaned up. The Jets got those first touches really well in the opening 20 minutes - but not as well in the middle frame.
"We fell off that in our own end of the ice and that's zone time for them and that's when they get going," Maurice said. "They'll get flurries of pucks to the net at a time, so getting that first touch of the puck is a real important piece to it."

The best way to prevent that from happening is to keep the play in Montreal's zone as much as possible. Of course, that's easier said than done, but forcing a quick team like the Canadiens to spend most of their shifts defending makes it difficult for them to have the energy to generate offence.
"We would rather have the puck on our stick then not. It's a challenge against Montreal because they're such a really good, I'll call it a second quick team, at getting a second player in to help with a battle," said Maurice. "They excel at it, so you have to move the puck or your feet very, very quickly. You can't hang on to a puck and stand. When we're on our game that fits our style of play."
With 23 games completed, the Jets are nearing the halfway mark of the regular season.
It's gone by quickly, but Copp feels the team's identity is starting to take shape.
"With no preseason, we have new faces in the line-up, we're still feeling out exactly what our team identity is going to be," said Copp. "I feel like we learn something each game and we're going to continue to grow together."
Puck drop is set for 6 pm CT.
-- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
Game Notes
The Jets continue a five-game road trip on Saturday with the second of two games against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Jets are in a stretch o playing 12 of 14 games on the road.
Paul Stastny (3G) and Mathieu Perreault (2G) have scored in consecutive games for the first time this season.
Derek Forbort set a single-game franchise record with 11 blocked shots on Thursday.
READ THE GAME NOTES
READ FRIDAY'S COVERAGE