Today the Jets host the Sabres after the visitors fell the Wild 6-2 last night in St. Paul. The Jets have been off since their game in Colorado earlier this week preparing for tonight and then the afternoon affair against the Sharks.
For tonight, depending on your perspective, old Jets friend or foe Evander Kane returns to the Bell MTS Centre to face his former team. This always brings a bit of drama with the rather flamboyant former Jet and I'd expect no less tonight, but perhaps mores on the score sheet. Evander Kane has 16 goals and a total of 35 points in 40 games and is again on pace for 30 goals this season, the final year of his current contract signed by the Jets in the day before the lockout in 2012.
Buffalo though is a hot mess and like the Oilers game last week, this is a team the Jets need to pound on, especially at home on a Friday night.
There is some speculation that Roslovic should get into the game tonight given the opposition, the second game of back-to-back games and that the 4th line had a bit of a tough night versus Colorado.
The logic would be like this: Easier opponent coming in after playing the night before and Roslovic now having practiced with the team a fair bit can be given time and sheltered based on last change for the Jets.
That is not always how Paul Maurice thinks though. Once Paul Maurice likes a player it's hard to get him to move from that player and right now that guy is Hendricks. The logical move would be to sit Hendricks and slot Roslovic, a centre, in between Matthias and Dano. With the speed and skill Roslovic has it would be more than a bump to the line, much like Perreault did when he played on the fourth line. That's a the theory.
Mike McIntrye had some insight on how Maurice looked at his fourth line and tweeted a quote yesterday.
Some interesting and fairly candid comments from #NHLJets coach Paul Maurice today about possibly putting rookie Jack Roslovic in the lineup over Shawn Matthias or Marko Dano in the near future. #wfp pic.twitter.com/R35mgZuKch
— Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) January 4, 2018
If you read that quote it sure sounds like Maurice was trying to push some buttons, at least from an awareness point of view. In reality that was not really the case as Mike was kind enough to provide some context on the tweet and quote.
I think he's just speaking to the internal competition they now have with the Jets, reminding guys not to get too comfortable in their spot. I didn't see it as anything personal against Matthias or Dano. https://t.co/9HWzLeq1RQ
— Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) January 5, 2018
So understanding this issue with context basically forces one to ask- what about Hendricks?
This is not a pick on Hendricks point but as Maurice says- what gives us the best chance to win. The reality is at some point you have to look at what Roslovic has to contribute and forget that by playing him you are finding out 'what you have'. In this situation the two issues are combined and why isn't that seen as an advantage?
The problem for Maurice is he's in a bit of a corner here, at least with his critics. He's got his top player from the Moose sitting, a lacklustre fourth line that is no longer propped up by a top 6 forward on basically any other team, and then he presents the competition card. There's reason people are confused and have questions.
Depth is a good thing and there's times to use it and for many this is exactly that time. That's where things sit and it will be interesting to see how things play out.