GAME DAY: Jets look to sweep season series with Canucks

Be sure to catch the JetsTV Live Pre-Game Show with Jamie Thomas, Mitchell Clinton & more beginning at 6:00pm CT right here on WinnipegJets.com and the Jets mobile app, as well as YouTube and Facebook Live.
WINNIPEG - Bell MTS Place has been a friendly spot for the Winnipeg Jets this season, and with tonight's tilt against the Vancouver Canucks being the only stop on Portage Avenue in a seven game stretch, the Jets hope to keep it that way.
The Jets are 16-3-1 on home ice, with one of those wins coming over the Canucks back on Dec. 11. Winnipeg has won both meetings with Vancouver this season, and could sweep the season series with another victory tonight.
But head coach Paul Maurice knows it won't be easy.
"We've had to play well against them. I watched them quite a bit early because of (head coach) Travis (Green), and knowing him. I was really impressed with their game through injury," said Maurice of the Canucks, who dropped a 5-2 decision in Edmonton last night.
"But in terms of the structure of how they were trying to play, it never changed. Last night was a good example of that. They get down two, but nothing changed. They just kept coming and coming. I felt that in the games that we played against them. It was 3-1 (in Vancouver), they make it 3-2, and it's on. They were really hard to kill, and they just didn't quit.
"This will be a tough one in here tonight. They play a hard game."

The Jets will ice the same line-up as the one that produced the 2-1 shootout win in Calgary yesterday afternoon, that includes keeping Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes - after the 24-year-old's 30-save performance against the Flames.
"Back to back is only an issue in how you come into that back-to-back. If you've had a whole bunch of hockey before, then you feel it," said Maurice. "Afternoon game to night game, I was pretty sure Hellebuyck was going all the way. He looked good last night, he goes."
The rest of the Jets line-up is expected to look like this in front of Hellebuyck:
Connor-Wheeler-Laine
Perreault-Little-Ehlers
Tanev-Copp-Armia
Dano-Hendricks-Roslovic
Morrissey-Trouba
Kulikov-Myers
Enstrom-Byfuglien
With 153 goals scored this season, the Jets offense is third in the NHL, with only the New York Islanders (165) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (162) ahead of them in that category.
While the offence has only been able to get one goal past opposing goaltenders the past three games, the Jets aren't worried. After looking back on the video from the win over the Flames coming out of the five-day break, the team liked what it saw.
"The chances are there. We looked at it this morning. We probably had six or seven Grade 'A' chances," said Mathieu Perreault, who notched his 14th goal of the season yesterday. "As long as the chances are there, I think we're fine. They're just not finding the back of the net, but eventually they will.
"Last night's game, a 1-1 game, we don't care about winning games 1-0 or 2-1 if we have to. It starts with our defence, they've been playing great, and our goalies have been making the saves. We're not too worried about it at all."

At 27-13-7, the Jets sit in second spot in the tight Central Division. The standings only got tighter yesterday, with five of the seven Central teams picking up wins on Saturday.
"I think everybody felt that fairly early, that the Central Division was going to be real jammed up," said Maurice. "I don't remember (a season) like this, where you looked at a division and you thought 'every one of those teams is a playoff team' or looks like they could be, or has won Stanley Cups recently, or is capable of going on a nine-game run. You take a five-day break, and everybody wins for the whole week."
Five of the eight playoff spots in the Western Conference are currently held by Central Division teams, something the Jets are aware of, but know they can't concern themselves with too much day-to-day.
"We need to focus on us getting points, rather than looking if they're getting their points or not," said Perreault. "You pay attention to it, but we're just going to focus on our games, and us getting points, and keep getting better."
Puck drop is set for 7 pm CT.
- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com

JETS GAME NOTES
Tonight's Game
The Winnipeg Jets entertain the Vancouver Canucks for the second and final time this season tonight at Bell MTS Place...The Jets resumed their schedule after their player break with a 2-1 shootout win on the road against the Calgary Flames yesterday afternoon...Following tonight's game, the Jets head to California for games against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday and Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.
Jets vs. Canucks Notes
- Winnipeg has won eight of the last nine games against the Canucks and have points in 11 of the last 13 meetings (9-2-2).
- Since the franchise relocated to Winnipeg in 2011, the Jets haven't lost in regulation to the Canucks at home.
- The Jets have held the Canucks to two goals or less in seven of the last eight meetings.
- The Jets are 5-for-16 (31.3%) on the power play in their last five games against Vancouver.
- Winnipeg is 19-for-20 (95%) on the penalty kill in their last seven games against the Canucks.
Singles Night
The Jets have scored a lone single goal in regulation in three consecutive games...Last season, the Jets had a streak of four consecutive games (Nov. 19-25/16) of scoring a single goal in a game...Despite the dry spell, the Jets are third in the league this season with 153 goals, including fifth in the league with 85 goals scored at home.
Back-to-Back Losses
Yesterday's win halted the two-game losing streak the Jets had entering the player break...Winnipeg has not lost three games in a row in regulation this season...Winnipeg is 8-4-1 in games following a regulation loss this season.
Back-to-Back
This weekend is the sixth back-to-back set for the Jets this season...Winnipeg plays nine back-to-backs this season, which is the least number of back-to-backs in the NHL...The Jets are 2-3-1 in the first game of back-to-backs and 2-2-1 in the second game...Last season the Jets had 13 back-to-back sets, going 6-6-1 in the first game and 6-5-2 in the second game for an overall record of 12-11-3.
Facing the West
The Jets are 19-8-2 against the Western Conference this season, including a 12-3-0 record versus the Pacific Division...Winnipeg is the only team in the NHL to post 12 wins against Pacific Division teams this season...Winnipeg has won six straight games against Pacific Division opponents...The Jets are 10-1-0 in their last 11 games versus the Pacific...Nikolaj Ehlers leads the Jets with 15 points (8G, 7A) against the Pacific Division, while Connor Hellebuyck leads the league with 10 wins against the Pacific.
Brief Stop Home
The Jets are in a stretch of playing six of seven games on the road...Tonight's game is the lone home game during the stretch...Thanks to the bye week and all-star break, the seven games take place over the course of 21 days, which is the lightest stretch of Winnipeg's schedule since playing seven games in 22 days to start the season...The Jets have played 27 road games this season, which is tied for the most in the NHL this season...By the time Winnipeg begins a 10-game homestand on Jan. 30, the Jets will have played 29 road games compared to 21 home games.
Cut Off at Two
Connor Hellebuyck allowed two goals or less in a game for the 21st time this season yesterday afternoon in Calgary, which is the most in the NHL...He started the season by allowing two goals or less in eight of his first nine games...In 18 starts at home this season, Hellebuyck has limited opposing teams to two goals or less on 12 occasions.
Sunday Funday
Jets captain Blake Wheeler leads all NHL players with 11 points (5G, 6A) in five games on Sundays this season...He's had two four-point games on Sundays - Oct. 29 vs. PIT (3G, 1A) and Dec. 3 vs. OTT (1G, 3A)...He's had a point in all five Sunday games this season...In honour of his hometown Minnesota Vikings playing in the NFC Championship Game tonight, the Vikings are a perfect 5-0 (Four Sunday's and one Monday) this season when Wheeler registers a point on the same day they play.
Seeing Stars
Jets forward Blake Wheeler and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck have been selected to participate in the 2018 NHL All-Star Game as members of the Central Division squad...Wheeler is tied for seventh in the league in points (53) and tied for fourth in assists (39)...He is the only NHLer with three games of four points or more in 2017-18..Hellebuyck is tied for second in the league in wins (24) and tied for fourth in shutouts (3)...Among goaltenders with a minimum of 15 games played, he ranks fifth in winning percentage (.743), 10th in goals-against average (2.40) and tied for 12th in save percentage (.922)...Wheeler and Hellebuyck are both making their first all-star appearance.
Jets vs. Canucks All-Time Records
Overall: 12-11-3
At Bell MTS Place: 6-0-1
At Rogers Arena: 4-7-2