GAME DAY: Jets at Oilers

EDMONTON, Alberta -As the Winnipeg Jets prepare to play their final game of 2018, a few different faces will be in the lineup to close out the calendar year.
Defenceman Dustin Byfuglien was put on injured reserve Sunday afternoon, opening the door for Joe Morrow to get into his first game action since Nov. 27. Brendan Lemieux will also draw in on the fourth line, replacing Mason Appleton.

"Regardless of the opponent we are looking for these young guys to make those small steps week by week," said head coach Paul Maurice.
"I'm comfortable with his (Lemieux) game. I didn't take him out because there was a problem. He's been good along the walls which is probably a starting point for young players. His reads have been getting better and certainly there is a physical element to his. We think there is offence there, we think there's some hands there too."

The Jets and Oilers games in 2018-19 have been high scoring affairs - both ending up 5-4 overtime results. They may have been highly entertaining contests for the fans at Bell MTS Place but for Maurice, a little too many goals for his liking.
"I liked the first two periods of our game in the first game against Edmonton (5-4 OT loss on October 16th) clearly we had a tough third," admitted Maurice.
"At the end of the day both teams have some really high-end speed to go along with their skill in their best players. They can drive the pace and the game can look like nothing for seven minutes and one of those guys gets the puck and changes the game on you. So we're both trying to become better defensive hockey teams and we're both going to grind this thing if we can."
While the Jets are looking to improve how they are playing defensively, they are also attempting to get back to what has made them successful on a lot of nights this season - scoring goals.
"I think when you are struggling to score, you're trying to find plays that aren't there and make something out of nothing," said Bryan Little.
"For us it seems like whenever we break out of those kind of slumps where we are not scoring is when we keep things simple and just do the easy things hard and fast and get rewarded for it. So that's what we are looking to get back to tonight."

Connor Hellebuyck will get the start in goal, giving him his third crack of the season at Edmonton. The Michigan native has won four of his last five starts against Edmonton. Maurice said while Laurent Brossoit has earned a chance to start again, it's all about the Jets schedule.
"Connor was very good in that Minnesota game," said Maurice.
"It wasn't a high-event game but we gave up three 2-on-1's in the first period and I really like his game. It's a long block of time, we had four days off at the (Christmas) break. If I keep him out (tonight) he gets one game in six or seven days."
Little and Adam Lowry didn't take the morning skate but will be fine for the game tonight. So the Jets didn't have line rushes during the morning skate at Rogers Place but here are the lines from practice on Sunday.
Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Little-Laine
Perreault-Lowry-Tanev
Copp-Roslovic-Lemieux
Trouba-Morrissey
Chiarot-Myers
Kulikov-Morrow
Hellebuyck
ICE CHIPS
Andrew Copp has played two games averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time in those games since missing nine with an upper body injury.
"I feel alright. I think it takes a little time to get back up to speed," said Copp.
"I thought especially my first game (last Thursday against Calgary) was really good. I feel back to normal with my normal routine so it feels good to be back for sure."
The Jets are 51-23-6 during the calendar year 2018. The 51 wins over the twelve months is the highest total since the team relocated to Winnipeg in 2011.
-- Jamie Thomas, WinnipegJets.com
GAME NOTES
Tonight's Game
The Winnipeg Jets play the first of two road games this week tonight against the Edmonton Oilers...The Jets have lost two games at home since the Christmas break - Dec. 27 vs. CGY 4-1 L and Dec. 29 vs. MIN 3-1 L...After tonight's game, the Jets return home for three days before playing in Pittsburgh against the Penguins on Friday.
Best Year So Far
The Jets have compiled 112 points so far in the 2018 calendar year by going 53-21-6 in 80 games...Winnipeg is one of three teams in the NHL to reach 112 points or more in the calendar year...It establishes a new benchmark for wins and points in a calendar year since the franchise relocated to Winnipeg in 2011...Winnipeg's 21 losses in regulation this year are the fewest in the NHL.
Lighter Load
After playing 12 games (10-2-0) in 22 days to begin December, the Jets are scheduled to play four games in a span of 13 days between Dec. 23-Jan. 4...Winnipeg's three-day break between games in Edmonton on Dec. 31 and Pittsburgh on Jan. 4 is one of two three-day breaks between games in its schedule that isn't attached to the Global Series, Christmas break, or player break/all-star break...The Jets trip to Pittsburgh on Jan. 4 begins a run of nine games in 16 days before the player break.
Two in Row
The Jets have lost two games in a row for the second time this season...The last time the Jets lost three games in a row in regulation was Mar. 6-11/17...Since then, the Jets have lost back-to-back games seven times.
Party in the Pacific
The Jets are 7-3-1 against Pacific Division opponents this season and are playing a Pacific Division team for the fourth time in their last five games...Winnipeg was a dominant 17-4-2 against Pacific Division foes last season and are on an 18-4-3 run in their last 25 games versus the Pacific...Mark Scheifele (5G, 7A) leads the Jets in scoring against the Pacific Division this season with 12 points in 11 games, while Dustin Byfuglien has 10 points (2G, 8A) in 10 games.
On the Road Again
The Jets are 11-6-0 on the road this season and have won seven of their last eight games away from Bell MTS Place...Winnipeg matched a franchise record with a five-game road winning streak from Nov. 24-Dec. 14...Blake Wheeler (2G, 19A) leads the Jets in scoring on the road with 21 points in 17 games.
VIEW FULL GAME NOTES
Power Patty
Patrik Laine scored Winnipeg's lone goal on Saturday for his NHL-leading 11th power play goal this season...Laine leads the Jets with 24 goals this season, which is tied for fourth in the NHL...Since entering the NHL for the 2016-17 season, Laine's 104 goals rank second in the NHL.
Wingman
Blake Wheeler is tied for second in the NHL with 44 assists in 38 games this season...Wheeler has five three-assist games this season, which is tied for first in the NHL...Wheeler has 112 assists during the past two seasons, which is the most in the NHL...Wheeler has 30 primary assists, which is second in the NHL...Wheeler's 427 career assists is second among right wingers since his rookie season of 2008-09...He has reached 40 assists for the fourth consecutive season and sixth time in his career.
Power Play Helpers
Blake Wheeler (19) and Dustin Byfuglien (15) lead the Jets in power play assists this season and are closing in on the franchise record, which is held by Slava Kozlov (130)...Byfuglien (127) is three power play assists behind Kozlov, while Wheeler (121) is nine behind.