GAMEDAY: Jets vs Maple Leafs

WINNIPEG -Derek Forbort gave a glimpse into what it feels like when the Winnipeg Jets take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"It seems every game against them, it's a fun and intense game. Every game, it just feels like a playoff game," Forbort said after Saturday's optional morning skate. "Even if there's no fans, there seems to be a lot of passion in the game. It makes for fun hockey out there."
Luckily for Forbort - and for hockey fans - there are still two more meetings between the two clubs in the regular season series, with one of those coming tonight at Bell MTS Place.
The Jets (27-16-3) sit six points back of the Maple Leafs (29-13-5) for top spot in the North Division, thanks partially to Toronto's 5-3 win over Winnipeg on Thursday night.
It was just the second time the Jets have lost consecutive games in regulation this season, so the priority tonight is avoiding the team's first three-game skid.

In an attempt to do that, Jets head coach Paul Maurice will make a couple line-up changes - one forced, one purely a coach's decision.

First, Jansen Harkins will draw back in as Adam Lowry will not play tonight as a precautionary measure.
Maurice said Lowry hasn't been diagnosed with a concussion. In fact, the forward - who left Thursday's game due to a hit from Alex Galchenyuk - passed all his tests, but still isn't feeling 100 percent.
"We'll list him as day-to-day," said Maurice.
"We just treat it like that until we can rule absolutely everything out. I don't know that we're more cautious than anyone, but we're clearly very cautious with all these. We were with Blake. Whether you have one or you don't, in terms of the diagnosis, we still go through a process until we get a guy back to 100 percent."
For Harkins, he steps back into game action after sitting out just one game. He anticipates it will go a lot more smoothly this time, as the last time he came back into the line-up, he sat for 22 games.
"Game shape is one thing, but it's thinking the game at a high level," said Harkins. "You have to try to go out there and keep it simple, make quick and fast plays. My game is definitely coming around. It's not like I was off before, but it's just getting up to pace and making the most of what you're given."
The second line-up decision comes on the blue line, where Maurice will insert Logan Stanley on the left side beside Dylan DeMelo. Jordie Benn comes out after playing 11:30 in his Jets debut on Thursday.
"It was the plan I had going into it," said Maurice. "We took a big man out of our lineup in Adam Lowry, so it makes sense that we put another big man in. Want to get Jordie some practice time as well. I don't want any of these guys out of hockey games for a long period of time until I get real comfortable in the direction we're going to go."

Connor Hellebuyck is expected to get the start in goal, with the Jets expected to look like this in front of him:
Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler
Stastny-Dubois-Ehlers
Perreault-Copp-Appleton
Harkins-Thompson-Lewis
Morrissey-Poolman
Forbort-Pionk
Stanley-DeMelo
Winnipeg Jets : Ground Control
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Fly By - April 24, 2021 - WPG vs TOR
The trio of Harkins, Nate Thompson, and Trevor Lewis have played a total of eight games together as a line. They've generated nine high-danger chances at five-on-five (according to Natural Stat Trick) compared to just three against.
"The guys I'm playing with, they have a lot of experience and are really good, smart, and defensive players," said Harkins. "Something I try to focus on throughout the game is getting my feet going and playing with pace. Especially on the fourth line, the third line, wherever in the line-up, you have to bring that speed and try to bring that physicality and intensity to the game. That's something that can carry a lot of weight out there."
With Lowry out of the line-up, the Jets will certainly miss his ability to go up against the opposition's best, but they'll also miss his physical play.
Lowry leads the Jets in hits this season with 138, and hits-per-60 minutes at 11.65.
Thompson and Lewis are capable of bringing that to the ice (they're third and fourth on the hits-per-60 list, respectively), while Forbort's 68 hits this season are the third most on the team.
However, Forbort feels the Jets can't start doing things out of their character with Lowry out.
"We've got physical guys back there and we have really good skating guys who aren't going to be as physical," said Forbort. "Each man needs to stick to what makes them successful. If that's being physical, be physical. If it's skating guys off the puck or being good with your stick, then do that."

At 6'7", Stanley can also bring some sandpaper to the game, but further to Forbort's point, that's not the only reason Maurice is putting the towering defenceman back in for tonight's game.
"Effectiveness first. Size doesn't automatically equate to physicality," said Maurice.
"If we had 20 elite, three-foot players they'd all be in the line-up tonight. If we had 20 terrible, seven-foot players, none of them would play. Size has nothing to do with anything, but it's all about effectiveness."
Puck drop is set for 6 pm CT.
-- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
Game Notes
The Winnipeg Jets continue a five-game home stand with their second consecutive game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Jets play 10 of their last 13 games of the season on home ice.
Winnipeg is 30-for-35 (85.3%) on the penalty kill in their past 10 games and have not surrendered a goal on the penalty kill in 11 of their past 18 games.
Kyle Connor (22), Nikolaj Ehlers (20), and Mark Scheifele (18) give the Jets three players with 18 goals or more. Only three teams in the NHL this season can make that claim.
Mark Scheifele is tied for eighth in NHL scoring with 54 points (18G, 36A) in 46 games this season. He's one of only three players in the NHL with 18 goals and 36 assists.
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