Jets lock in their starting goalie and roll out telling line changes vs Canadiens
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Daniel Lucente
Feb 4, 2026 (10:48)
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Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Connor Hellebuyck starts for the Winnipeg Jets vs the Montreal Canadiens, and the lines scream “win now or else” on Wednesday.
The rushes have Kyle Connor with Mark Scheifele and Alex Iafallo, which is a pretty blunt message about forechecking and puck support.
Cole Perfetti stays with Adam Lowry and Gabriel Vilardi, a trio that can grind shifts and still finish.
The third unit is Nino Niederreiter, Jonathan Toews, Vladislav Namestnikov, and it is built to start in the D zone and survive.
The fourth group is Cole Koepke, Morgan Barron, Gustav Nyquist, so the pace has to come from the legs, not the nameplates.
On the blue line, Josh Morrissey with Dylan DeMelo remains the stabilizer, while Dylan Samberg with Elias Salomonsson is the swing pair that can tilt ice if it clicks.
Logan Stanley with Luke Schenn is pure crease work, and it probably means Winnipeg expects a greasy night.
Mark Scheifele carries the Winnipeg Jets again
Jets fans feel this one in their teeth, because the standings do not care about "good effort" anymore.
Winnipeg comes in 22-25-8, and that is why the top line has a worker like Iafallo glued to Scheifele.
Scheifele leads the way with 27-40-67, but the room needs more passengers turning into drivers.
Toews has 19 points and a team-worst minus-15, so this matchup is about details, not nostalgia.
Montreal is 31-17-8 and rolling, which means Winnipeg’s man advantage has to punish that weak Canadiens kill when it gets the chance.
If Hellebuyck is sharp early, these lines can actually play with a lead instead of chasing it.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 4|129 ANSWERS Jets lock in their starting goalie and roll out telling line changes vs Canadiens Will Connor Hellebuyck steal this one for the Winnipeg Jets? | ||
| Yes | 39 | 30.2 % |
| No | 90 | 69.8 % |
| List of polls | ||