Jets battle top-ranked Avalanche with playoff hopes fading. Key forward returns loom as Winnipeg eyes crucial wins against Colorado.
The 30-29-12 Winnipeg Jets are set to face-off against the 47-13-10 Colorado Avalanche from Canada Life Centre on Thursday evening.
The 7:00 PM central puck drop will feature the league's No. 1 club in action against last season's Presidents' Trophy winners.
Winnipeg currently sits five points back of the Nashville Predators for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Should the Jets somehow make their way into the postseason, it would need to involve two more wins against this Avalanche team, to which the Jets see two games in a row (the teams play in Colorado on Saturday as well).
Nothing will change personnel-wise for Winnipeg on Thursday, with Connor Hellebuyck remaining a fixture in net, while Ville Heinola and Jacob Bryson will once again serve as healthy scratches. Nino Niederreiter and Vlad Namestnikov have been practicing in yellow, non-contact sweaters for the Jets this week, as their respective returns grow near.
Winnipeg Jets' expected line combinations for Thursday, March 26 vs. Colorado:
Connor-Scheifele-Iafallo
Perfetti-Lowry-Vilardi
Rosen-Barron-Lambert
Koepke-Toews-Nyquist
Morrissey-Pionk
Samberg-Salomonsson
Fleury-DeMelo
Hellebuyck
Injured: Miller, Niederreiter, Namestnikov
Healthy Scratches: Heinola-Bryson