Scott Arniel Teases Playoff Lineup With Major Shake-up After Embarrassing Loss to Sabres

Credit in-game adjustments by Scott Arniel. Although largely keeping the same forward lines through this season for the Winnipeg Jets, he does have a very sharp instinct about when to make timely changes.

Near the end of Sunday's 5-3 defeat to Buffalo, Arniel mixed things up, inserting Nikolaj Ehlers for Nino Niederreiter alongside Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton.

It worked when Ehlers went coast to coast and slammed his trademark slap shot past the goalie to make it 4-3 with 3:28 left.

This wasn't a matter of jump-starting Ehlers. For most of the game, Buffalo plugged the neutral zone and dominated the middle of the ice, restricting Ehlers, Cole Perfetti, and Vladislav Namestnikov to only one high-danger shot out of nine attempts.

Prior to Ehlers' goal, Arniel's first tweak almost paid off, when Namestnikov looped around the net and passed to Niederreiter for a top-tier scoring opportunity.

As the playoffs approach, Winnipeg's second line could have trouble against more condensed defenses, where getting scoring off the cycle is necessary.

If Ehlers, Perfetti, and Namestnikov are outmatched, Arniel will require options. Sunday's adjustment might portend his playoff plan.

History would indicate that if Arniel reunites Ehlers and Lowry, Appleton would finish the line, while Niederreiter and Perfetti, who excelled together in Namestnikov's last absence, would be reunited.

Namestnikov's work ethic and hockey smarts would complement them. One game does not make a sweeping conclusion, but this adjustment won't be forgotten.

Winnipeg's playoff meltdown a year ago was the result of insufficient in-series adjustments. This time, bet on Arniel to make significant moves if his middle-six needs shuffling.