It’s late-March and as always the case in late season meetings between the Blackhawks and Jets, one team is gearing up for a playoff run they hope takes them well into April, while the other team is already in “next year” mode and taking a look at kids coming up through their system.

That hasn’t changed, it’s that the roles are reversed this season that still feels a bit odd.

A perfect 6-0-0 home stand for the Winnipeg Jets was capped off with a hat trick from Brandon Tanev (still seems odd to type that) and a shootout win over the Boston Bruins. While the Jets have been great at even strength, their special teams has struggles a bit both with the man advantage and on the penalty kill. It hasn’t been helped much by the fact the Jets have had a few games now where they’ve taken lazy or reckless penalties that have held them back. They’ve gotten away with it recently, but with the playoffs looming, it would be wise to work those kinks out of their system. Connor Hellebuyck has also played a long stretch of games recently, so Eric Comrie gets the call for the Jets tonight in Chicago.

How the mighty have fallen. The Hawks have only won one of their last seven played and have been decimated by injuries. Chicago is firmly in “play prospects and see what we got for next season and beyond mode” as youth was starting to be served in their loss against San Jose and may even piled on more tonight. The future doesn’t look too bad in Chicago as Nick Schmaltz, Alex DeBrincat and Vinnie Hinostroza have all shown flashes of being top six capable forwards for the Hawks. Goalie Collin Delia – who has been pretty strong in AHL Rockford – was just called up by the Hawks on Wednesday and he could get a look over their last five games while Dylan Sikura and Blake Hillman could be making their debut tonight as well.

In their last game the Blackhawks got started quickly a minute into the game before Winnipeg erupted for five goals in the first period. The Hawks got a second goal in the second period and while the Jets didn’t really go for the kill the rest of the game, they held down the Hawks with a strong, steady attack the rest of the game. The Jets still trail in the season series 1-2-0 with tonight’s game and a game back at home on April 7 to close out the five game set.

It feels strange say that a game against the Blackhawks should be an automatic W, but really, look at that lineup above and short of the Jets completely mailing in an effort or goaltending heroics in the Hawks end of the ice, tell me how their lineup beats Winnipeg’s. They shouldn’t. They don’t. Jets win 6-2.