JGD 3: Jets seeking third straight victory

The Jets will have a chance to start the season 3-0 for the first time in four years when they travel to Brooklyn on Monday afternoon for a matinee against the New York Islanders.

Winnipeg hasn’t started a season with three straight victories since 2011 when the Jets 2.0 relocated to Manitoba from Atlanta.

It will be the third of a four-game road trip to open the season for the Jets, who are coming off a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils and aren’t fooled by the Isles’ winless record at 0-1-1.

“We know they’re good,” Scheifele told the Jets’ official website. “We know they have a lot of skill, they have speed, they have some depth, they have good blue liners, they just about have it all. It’s going to be a good game, but we’ll be ready for it. We know what we have to do. We just have to focus on our team game and go from there.”

Provided by DailyFaceoff.com.

As expected, the top line of Andrew Ladd-BryanLittle-Blake Wheeler has produced right out of the gate. Wheeler has two goals and an assist through two games while Ladd has posted a goal and two helpers.

Mark Scheifele, centring the second line, also has two goals to start the season.

Four of six defenceman that started in the Jets’ opening two victories have registered a point. 

Winnipeg did suffer a scared when blue-liner Tyler Myers left Sunday’s practice early, but coach Paul Maurice isn’t concerned about the 25-year-old.

“He’ll be fine. It happens a lot over the course of the year. Some guy’s bodies, they just don’t get warmed up to the point,” he said. “We have the full expectation he’ll play tomorrow.”

After splitting the first two games of the season, Maurice is likely to take the same approach for the next two road matchups against the Isles and Rangers on Tuesday. Which means Ondrej Pavelec will get the call between the pipes against the Islanders.

The Isles have produced just three goals in their opening two games with their potent offence, led by all-star John Tavares, running dry so far. 

Tavares did score the lone goal in the Islanders’ 4-1 loss to the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks on Saturday.

Marek Zidlicky has a goal and a plus-1 rating through two games, which Johnny Boychuk has an assist and is plus-1.

With starting goalie Jaroslav Halak still sidelined with an undisclosed upper-body injury, Thomas Greiss is expected to get the call in net for the Islanders. Greiss is 0-0-1 with a 2.90 GAA and .914 save percentage.

Game Day Prediction: The Jets have scored goals in bunches early on and the Isles have had a tough time keeping them out of their own net. Jets 6 Isles 3

Obvious Prediction: The Ladd-Little-Wheeler line will continue to be an offensive force.

Not So Obvious Prediction: Pre-season scoring leader Ben Chiarot nets a hat-trick tonight.