GAME DAY: Jets look to halt Jackets' win streak

Dano says he still keeps in touch with a few of his former teammates.
"There's my old friend from the minors Lukas Sedlak. He got called up and he's been up all season, so I'm in touch with him. A couple guys too from the World Championship like Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray," said Dano. "I'm really excited and looking forward to tonight's game. It's going to be a lot of fun. Home building against a team who is on a winning streak. There are a lot of reasons why we want to win."

Five players did not take part in Winnipeg's morning skate (Patrik Laine, Mathieu Perreault, Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Toby Enstrom), but head coach Paul Maurice says all five will play tonight. Michael Hutchinson will start in goal.
"I've liked his game going back two and a half weeks. Such an important win for us against Vancouver, he made some really critical saves," Maurice said. "Styles of game too, with your opponent, how pucks get to the net, and what the goalie's strengths are, I think he deserved to go back in."
As for the Blue Jackets, Maurice sees a lot of similarities in playing styles between the two clubs. The mantra of "getting on the puck, staying on the puck, and being strong on the puck" is echoed in both dressing rooms, and just like with his team, Maurice says young players are making an impact in Columbus.

"(Zach) Werenski has come in and changed the way they look back there, (Seth) Jones has been a great fit and addition, (Alexander) Wennberg a couple years older makes a big, big difference," said Maurice. "Now they've got this nice structured team, I don't think they're structured a whole lot differently than we are now that we're healthy."
Despite the winning streak, the talk in the Jets dressing room revolved around sticking to their own game plan, and not solely focusing on snapping Columbus' 13-game run.
"I think when we're moving our feet, in the first period in Chicago everyone was moving their feet, things are going well," said Petan. "Once we play a fast game, hard game, on the body, on pucks, interrupting plays, I think we're at our best."

The 3-1 win over Chicago on Tuesday is an example of what can happen when the Jets are at their best.
"For us, us being fast is almost all what we do with the puck, and how we think about it before we touch it," said Maurice. "We liked our defensive quickness against Chicago. We have that fear of what they can do offensively so we bring it naturally. Then it just feeds right into your offensive game."
The puck drops in downtown Winnipeg at 7 pm CT.
- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
JETS GAME NOTES
Tonight's Game
The Winnipeg Jets return to MTS Centre tonight to entertain the NHL's hottest team in the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have won a franchise best 13 consecutive games and sit atop the NHL standings with a 24-5-4 record…It's been 10 days since Winnipeg's last home game, as the Jets split a pair of games in Vancouver before the Christmas break and then beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Tuesday at United Center…Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele and Drew Stafford did the scoring for the Jets against the Blackhawks…After tonight's game, the Jets welcome the New York Islanders to MTS Centre on New Year's Eve to close out 2016…It is Winnipeg's first Saturday home game of the season.
Beasts in the East
The Jets are 5-8-2 against Eastern Conference teams this season, including 2-5-1 against Metropolitan teams…Winnipeg has points in three of their last four games (2-1-1) against Eastern Conference teams…Of the five wins against the East, three have come in overtime or a shootout - Oct. 13 vs. CAR 5-4 OTW, Oct. 19 vs. TOR 5-4 OTW and Dec. 15 vs. FLA 4-2 SOW…Winnipeg plays their next five games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Coming Out of the Break
Since relocating to Winnipeg, the Jets have hovered around .500 in the short-term following the Christmas break…However, immediately after the break the Jets enjoy a 10-3-0 record in games between Dec. 27-31 in the last six seasons…The season-by-season breakdown is below (excluding the 2012-13 lockout shortened season, which started in January of 2013).
Four of Five
Tuesday's win was Winnipeg's fourth in its last five games…It's the third time this season the Jets have done that (Nov. 8-13 and Nov. 27-Dec. 4 are the others)…The Jets have won back-to-back games seven times this season and can win three straight for the first time this season with a victory tonight.
Captain Streaks
Captain Blake Wheeler's game-opening goal on Tuesday extended his point streak to five games (3g, 2a)…It's the second time this season has a point streak of at least five games…He had a six-game streak from Nov. 27-Dec. 6 (1g, 6a) and also owns a pair of three-game point streaks this season…Wheeler ended last season on an 11-game point streak (8g, 8a).

Hitting Da Mark
After going 15 games without a goal, Nikolaj Ehlers has five goals in his last seven games, including two two-goal games in his last four games - Dec. 18 vs. COL and Dec. 22 at VAN…His four goals were tied for the league lead in goal scoring in the week leading up the Christmas break…Ehlers (2) joins Patrik Laine (4) as the only two members of the Jets with multiple multi-goal games this season…With his assist on Tuesday against Chicago, Ehlers has six points (4g, 2a) in his last four games.
Special Teams Notes
- The Jets are 2-for-10 (20%) on the power play in their last three games, but are 2-for-23 (8.7%) on the power play in their last eight home games and haven't scored a power play goal at home in four straight games (0-for-9).
- After giving up a power play goal against in five consecutive games, the Jets are a perfect 10-for-10 on the penalty kill in their last three games.

Team Quick Hits
- Since relocating to Winnipeg, the Jets have never finished below .500 in the month of December…They have a 6-5-1 record this December with two games remaining.
- The Jets have played 20 games on the road compared to 17 at home…That difference will increase in the next two weeks, as the Jets play six of their next 10 games on the road.