Jets look to end skid against Wild

WILD (14-5-4) at JETS (10-11-3)

TV: FS-N, TSN-JETS

Last 10: Minnesota 8-1-1; Winnipeg 5-4-1

Season series: The Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets meet five times this season; this is the third game between the teams and the first one to be played in Winnipeg. The Wild won 2-1 on Oct 10 and again by that same score on Nov 17. The remaining two games are also at MTS Centre.

Big story: The Jets have lost the first two in a three-game homestand, allowing a total of 11 goals. They have lost three straight for the fourth time this season, but have yet to drop four in a row. A win could get them out of the cellar in the Central Division. The Wild have won five of six and three of their past five on the road.

Team Scope:

Wild: Minnesota came back from an early 2-1 deficit against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday to win 4-3. Captain Mikko Koivu had three points, including the game-winning goal with less than three minutes remaining.

"I don't think I've changed my game at all," said Koivu, who leads the Wild with 15 assists. "You keep getting chances, you have to believe it's going to go in and lately it's been going in."

The Wild have eight wins in 10 games with both defeats coming on the road, including a 6-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

Jets: The Jets got two power-play goals and had three different goal-scorers but still fell 6-3 to the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. Winnipeg was outshot 33-25 and had a 13-minute stretch in which it did not record a shot.

"We got what we deserved," goaltender Ondrej Pavelec said. "If you play in your zone like we did tonight, you can't expect to get a point. They won the [Stanley Cup] for a reason."

The Jets' current three-game slide has mostly undone their stretch in early November when they won four of five games.

Who's hot: Koivu has been on a tear with four goals and eight assists in his past eight games. He is tied for most points in the NHL since Nov. 5. Goalie Josh Harding has allowed 18 goals in nine games and is 8-1-1 with a .929 save percentage in November. ...Dustin Byfuglien has scored in four straight games for the Jets and has five goals in that span.

Injury report: Defenseman Keith Ballard (upper body) and goaltender Niklas Backstrom (concussion) are on injured reserve for the Wild. Forward Torrey Mitchell sustained a lower-body injury against Montreal and could miss his second straight. ... The Jets activated defenseman Mark Stuart (hip) from injured reserve on Friday. They have forward Jim Slater (hernia) and defensemen Zach Bogosian (groin), Jacob Trouba (upper body) and Paul Postma (blood clot) on IR.