GAME DAY: Jets vs Flames

WINNIPEG -Two familiar faces return to the Winnipeg Jets line-up tonight as they host the Calgary Flames in the first game back since the four-day holiday break.
Adam Lowry - who has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury - is one of those faces, while Andrew Copp, who has missed the last 10 games (and 13 of the past 15), will also be back in the Jets line-up.
The forward missed three games with a concussion, returned for two games, then missed another 10. But he said the issue wasn't with his head.
"I passed all my tests after the original hit and felt good. Then I had some lingering headaches and decided to take it easy. It was precautionary. We kind of figured out a lot of it was based on the whiplash from my neck," said Copp.
"It wasn't as much head-related towards the end. It was a lot of neck stuff and making sure it was restrengthened and not getting sore with contact."

Copp has been wearing a tinted visor since he returned to Jets practice prior to the holiday break.
He says it's the result of a consultation with an eye specialist that found his eyes "work too hard" in bright lights, like those inside hockey rinks. He said it took a bit to get used to, but at this point it feels normal.
Jets head coach Paul Maurice has Copp playing the wing tonight, on the left side with Jack Roslovic in the middle and Mason Appleton on the right.
"Andrew has been out a longer period of time. He's a very smart player. He's not a guy that lives and dies on how his hands feel that night - whether he's going to get four points or not and we decide whether he played well," Maurice said, adding that Nic Petan and Brendan Lemieux will come out of the line-up with Copp and Lowry returning.
"The two guys I'm taking out of the line-up played very well too. There wasn't a hole in their game. It wasn't anything negative in that. The starting idea is I want to put Andrew Copp on the left wing in his natural position."

The rest of the Jets line rushes at this morning's skate looked like this, with Adam Lowry slotting back in his usual spot between Brandon Tanev and Mathieu Perreault.
Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Little-Laine
Perreault-Lowry-Tanev
Copp-Roslovic-Appleton
Morrissey-Trouba
Chiarot-Byfuglien
Kulikov-Myers
The biggest key tonight is getting back up to speed after not being on the ice for four days. Captain Blake Wheeler said the key in the early going is simplicity.
"Just try and do everything as fast as we can. Don't try to do anything special early on," said Wheeler. "Just do everything as fast as possible. Hopefully by the second half of the game, we're going."

At 24-10-2, the Jets not only lead the Central Division, but the entire Western Conference. Maurice said following the 1-0 shutout win over the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 22 that while reaching the 50-point mark in 36 games (the fastest in franchise history) is nice, there is still a lot of work to do.
That work begins against the Calgary Flames, who hold town the top spot in the Pacific with a 22-12-3 record, despite being winless in their last three games.
"They're dangerous. Tons of offensive talent. Any mistake, any break in the action, they can make you pay for it," said Wheeler.
"All those little things are heightened in a game like this, against offensive guys like that. So you want to try and make them play defence as much as possible."
In the only other meeting of the season between the two clubs, the Jets gave up five goals in the opening 20 minutes. Despite closing to within two - with a disallowed goal keeping that comeback from getting to within one - the Jets lost 6-3 at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Maurice sees a lot of similarities in how both rosters are constructed.
"They've got some really good checkers in the mix of some real fine offensive talent," said Maurice.
"The faster you can get your offensive players to check well, then the more powerful your team becomes. They have a nice back end, very mobile, very active, get involved in the rush.
"When you run your match-ups in the room at home, you're looking for an advantage. When you play a team like Calgary, for every advantage you get you have to give something back as well. That's the mark of that good depth that they have."
Connor Hellebuyck is expected to get the start, as he tries to help the Jets improve on their 10-2-0 record in the month of December.
Puck drop is set for 7 pm CT.
-- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
GAME NOTES
Tomorrow's Game
The Winnipeg Jets return to action tomorrow against the Calgary Flames after their four-day Christmas break...The Jets have won two in a row to end their three-game road trip before the break, finishing the stretch 2-1-0...The last game was a 1-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday...The Jets play the second game of this two-game homestand on Saturday afternoon against the Minnesota Wild.
Friendly Confines
Winnipeg is 13-4-2 at home this season, which is tied for the third-most wins and the second-most points in the NHL...After going 8-for-15 (53.3%) on the power play in their last four home games, the Jets have regained top spot in the NHL in power play percentage at home this season at 36.8% (21-for-57)...Winnipeg's 21 power play goals at home this season lead the NHL...The Jets have a 45-11-4 record at Bell MTS Place during the last two seasons, making it the toughest building in the NHL for opposing teams to play.
Hitting 50
At 24-10-2, the Jets became the first Western Conference team to reach 50 points this season with their win against the Canucks on Saturday...The Jets reached the plateau in 36 games, which is three games quicker than last season...Winnipeg is the third team in the NHL to reach 50 points this season.
Best Year So Far
The Jets have compiled 113 points so far in the 2018 calendar year by going 52-19-5 in 78 games...Winnipeg was 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 19 losses in regulation this year are the fewest in the NHL.
Bring It
The Jets have allowed 40 or more shots in their back-to-back wins to improve to 6-0 this season when their opponent has 40 or more shots...Winnipeg has allowed 40 shots or more in three of their last four games...As a team, the Jets have a .954 save percentage in the six games (Hellebuyck - .940; Brossoit - .969)...Brossoit's 40-save shutout against Vancouver was the fifth time in franchise history a Jets goaltender made 40 saves or more in a shutout and third time since relocation...The Jets have been outshot 261-173 in those six games, but have outscored their opponents 24-12, including scoring five goals in four of the games...The Jets have a 13.9 shooting percentage, while their opponents only have a 4.6 shooting percentage...In four of the six games, the Jets have registered 26 or less shots.
Party in the Pacific
The Jets are 7-2-1 against Pacific Division opponents this season and finish a stretch of four consecutive games against Pacific Division opponents tomorrow...Winnipeg was a dominant 17-4-2 against Pacific Division foes last season and are on an 18-3-3 run in their last 24 games versus the Pacific...Mark Scheifele (5G, 7A) leads the Jets in scoring against the Pacific Division this season with 12 points in 10 games, while Dustin Byfuglien has 10 points (2G, 8A) in nine games...Patrik Laine has seven goals in 10 games against the Pacific Division this season.
Wonderful Time of Year
The Jets have posted a 10-2-0 record in December to climb into first place in the Western Conference...Winnipeg ranks in the top five of several categories this month, including being tied for the most wins.
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.
Terrific Thursdays
The Jets are 6-1-0 in games played on Thursday's this season and have outscored their opposition 29-19 in the seven games...Winnipeg is 7-for-21 (33.3%) on the power play on Thursday's...Since relocation, the Jets are 56-42-17 in Thursday games.
December to Remember
Mark Scheifele is second in the NHL in scoring in December with 20 points (9G, 11A) in 12 games...He has a point in nine of Winnipeg's 12 games this month and has multiple points in seven of those nine games...Scheifele is sixth in NHL scoring with 49 points (22G, 37A) in 36 games.
Wingman
Blake Wheeler assisted Mark Scheifele's game-winning goal against the Canucks for his 11th assist in his last seven games...He is tied for the NHL lead with 43 assists in 36 games this season...Wheeler has five three-assist games this season which is tied for first in the NHL...Wheeler has 111 assists during the last two seasons - the most in the NHL - and he is the only player in the NHL to have more than 100 assists during that time frame...Wheeler has 20 primary assists, which is second in the NHL...Wheeler's 426 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 (18) and Dustin Byfuglien (14) lead the Jets in power play assists this season and are closing in on the career franchise record, which is held by Slava Kozlov (130)...Byfuglien (126) is four power play assists behind Kozlov, while Wheeler (120) is 10 behind.
Helluva Run
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck went 7-2-0 with a 2.75 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in his last nine starts before the Christmas break...He is tied for third in the NHL with 16 wins this season and has won a league-high 60 games during the last two seasons.