GAME DAY: Jets at Wild

SAINT PAUL, Minnesota -A three-game stretch against Central Division opponents come to an end tonight for the Winnipeg Jets, who take on the Minnesota Wild tonight at Xcel Energy Center.
The Jets (27-13-2) have won each of the first two games - a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars and a 7-4 offensive explosion over the Colorado Avalanche. But so far this season, the Wild (21-18-3) are one of two divisional opponents the Jets have yet to defeat.
They hope to change that stat in the third meeting tonight.
"The grind will be evident. It will be a physical game for sure. The games with Minny seem to break open at times too. It's a grind for an awfully long time and then it gets up and down the ice pretty quick," said Maurice, who said he liked how the Jets played for the majority of the first meeting with the Wild, more so than in the second meeting on Dec. 29.

"I felt the Minnesota game we lost at home, that was our sword, we fell on it," said Maurice.
"We weren't particularly quick in that game. That's a foundation for anybody's game, not just ours. They won both, they deserved to win both. We're going to work real hard to not let that happen in here tonight."

Even though the Jets have scored 12 times in their last two outings, they don't expect the same kind of game against the Wild, who sit one point out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Minnesota has allowed 117 goals against this year, tied for the fourth fewest in the NHL.
Blake Wheeler said the key against a team with a strong defensive structure is playing quick, but staying patient.
"These guys, they play hard. They're defensively responsible. They have a lot of veteran guys. It's going to be what you expect later in the season toward playoff time," said Wheeler, who had four points in Winnipeg's win over Colorado. "That's how teams are going to be playing. It's a great way to flip our mindset and get into those types of games."

No line-up changes are expected for the Jets, who will go with Connor Hellebuyck getting his seventh consecutive start since the end of the holiday break.
The line rushes at this morning's skate looked like this:
Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler
Laine-Little-Roslovic
Perreault-Lowry-Tanev
Lemieux-Copp-Appleton
Morrissey-Trouba
Chiarot-Myers
Morrow-Kulikov
Andrew Copp was one of seven Jets to score in the win over Colorado. The goal was his third of the season, but also held up as the eventual game-winner.
"We needed something to hang our hat on after giving up that goal - the second goal in the second period," said Copp
"Finding something to hang our hat on over the last couple games of not really having a whole lot going on. I felt it was an important goal for our line and for our team too after giving up two to end the second and Colorado pulling within one.
"It was really important to settle ourselves a little bit."

The Wild were shutout by the Boston Bruins on Tuesday 4-0, but that was the only blemish on a four-game road trip through the Eastern Conference.
Adam Lowry says the Jets know exactly what to expect from the Wild, who are 10-7-3 at home this season.
"It's important that we're comfortable in the 2-1, 3-2 games. You go through the first period 0-0 or down by a goal, we don't need to break this game open," said Lowry. "We have enough offence and we have a good enough power play that if we get that opportunity, all we have to do is bear down and we're back in the game.
"They play real well at home. In order for us to be successful and give us the best chance it's important that we don't try and run-and-gun. It's important we stick to what makes us good as a team."

Tonight marks the first of back-to-back games for the Jets, who host the Detroit Red Wings Friday night at Bell MTS Place.
It's the sixth set of back-to-backs the Jets have faced this season. In the front half of those situations, Winnipeg is 4-1-0.
"We have to worry about ourselves first. We have to prepare better than we did the last time we played these guys. We weren't ready to play mentally or physically, Copp said.
"We have to find a way to get ourselves up for this game. It's a really important one. Another Central Division game, but after being 0-2 against these guys to start the year, we feel like this has to be a game we find way to win."
-- MItchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
GAME NOTES
Tonight's Game
The Winnipeg Jets visit the Minnesota Wild tonight for their first of two games in as many nights...The Jets won for the third time in their past four games with a 7-4 victory against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night...Winnipeg plays the back half of the back-to-back Friday night at Bell MTS Place against the Detroit Red Wings.
Outburst Continues
The Jets have scored five goals or more in back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 11-13...Winnipeg has scored five goals or more in 15 games this season (15-0-0), which is tied for second in the NHL.
Power Play Clicks
After going 1-for-15 (6.7%) on the power play in seven games from Dec. 18-Jan. 4, the Jets are 4-for-8 on the power play in their past two games...While the Jets lead the NHL in home power play percentage at 38.2%, Winnipeg is 12-for-61 (19.7%) on the power play in road games this season and are 0-for-11 in their past five road games.
On the Road Again
The Jets are 12-7-0 on the road this season, but had their three-game road winning streak end in Pittsburgh last Friday...Winnipeg has won eight of their past 10 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 (3G, 19A) leads the Jets in scoring on the road with 22 points in 19 games.
Busy Time
The Jets are in the midst of nine games (2-1-0) in 16 days leading into the player and all-star break from Jan. 20-27...After the all-star break, the Jets also have a busy schedule with 11 games in 20 days.
Against the Central
Winnipeg is in a stretch of five of eight games against Central Division teams...The Jets are 9-5-0 against Central Division teams this season...Since the start of the 2016-17 season, the Jets are 43-22-4 against Central Division teams, which is first in the NHL...In that same time frame, Blake Wheeler leads all NHLers in scoring against the Central Division with 91 points (27G, 64A) in 69 games, while Mark Scheifele is second with 83 points (33G, 50A) in 61 games.
Period by Period
The Jets scored twice in the first period on Tuesday against Colorado, which was the first time in seven games Winnipeg scored in the first period...The first period has been the least productive offensively for the Jets this season with 40 goals, compared to 43 goals in the second period and 57 goals in the third period...The Jets have a positive goal differential in each period this season (1st - 3; 2nd - 6; 3rd - 13)...Winnipeg has scored three third-period goals in each of their last two games.
VIEW FULL GAME NOTES
Back-2-Back
Tomorrow and Friday marks the sixth of 10 back-to-back sets the Jets have this season...Winnipeg is 4-1-0 in the first game and 3-2-0 in the second game of back-to-backs this season...Last season, the Jets went 4-3-2 in the first game of nine back-to-backs and 4-4-1 in the second game.
Multiple Contributors
The Jets have scored 12 goals in their past two games by 10 different players...Only Kyle Connor and Bryan Little have scored in both games...Connor has goals in back-to-back games after going 10 games without a goal, while Little has scored in consecutive games for the first time this season...The two goals ended an 11-game goalless drought for Little.
Point Night
Blake Wheeler had four points (1G, 3A) on Tuesday for his second game this season with four points or more and 14th multi-point game...Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists for his team-leading 15th multi-point game of the season...Defenceman Jacob Trouba matched a season-high with three points (1G, 2A), while Tyler Myers had two assists.
Workhorse
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has started all six games the Jets have played since the Christmas break, which has matched his longest streak of consecutive starts this season...He's also played nine of Winnipeg's last 10 games.
Seeing Stars
The NHL announced the rosters for the 2019 NHL All-Star Game last week and Jets forwards Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele were selected to the Central Division team...Wheeler, who is making his second consecutive all-star appearance, leads the Jets in points (55) and also leads the Jets and ranks second in the NHL in assists (48)...Scheifele is making his first all-star appearance and is second on the Jets in points (53), goals (23), and assists (30)...He is also in the top 15 in the NHL in goals and points...Forward Patrik Laine is on the Last Man In ballot, as fans vote on the final member of each all-star team...The NHL announced on Saturday that head coach Paul Maurice has been selected as the head coach of the Central Division team, based on the Jets being in first place in the Central Division at the midway point of the season.