GAME DAY: Jets vs Lightning

WINNIPEG -With the holiday season in full swing, it's fitting that the NHL schedule has provided hockey fans with an early present.
The Winnipeg Jets (21-9-2) will host Tampa Bay Lightning - the top team in the NHL at 25-7-1 - at Bell MTS Place in the final home game for the Jets prior to the holiday break.
The match-up has certainly created some buzz in the city. The Jets have won eight of their past nine games (including four straight) while Tampa Bay has rattled off eight consecutive wins coming into tonight's tilt.
As excited as the fans inside the building will be, there is just as much anticipation in the Jets dressing room.

"This is a game you have circled on the calendar for a while," said Josh Morrissey, who has three multi-point efforts in his last four games.
"Looking at where they're at in the standings - first place in the league - it's exciting. Both teams have top end skilled players, some of the best players individually in the league and lots of speed in the line-up. D-men that can really move and get in the rush offensively, and great goaltending.
"It's a game for us to test ourselves against the best team overall."
Connor Hellebuyck will get the start in goal for the Jets, who will go with the same skaters as the group that produced back-to-back overtime wins over the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks.
Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler
Ehlers-Little-Laine
Perreault-Lowry-Tanev
Lemieux-Roslovic-Appleton
Morrissey-Trouba
Chiarot-Byfuglien
Kulikov-Myers
Both teams feature lethal power plays, with the Jets at the top of the league with the man advantage at just over 30 per cent. On home ice, it's even better, at 35.7 per cent.
However, Tampa Bay's third-ranked power play is the best in the league on the road at 37 per cent.
"We know those guys are very good with the puck and they're good shooters," said Brandon Tanev. "At the end of the day it's our job to get in those lanes on the penalty kill and block those shots. We have to do a good job of that with those guys on the ice."
To outline just how dangerous each unit is, the Lightning have three players in the league's top 20 in power play points: Nikita Kucherov (second, 20 points), Brayden Point (15th, 14 points) and Steven Stamkos (18th, 13 points).
The Jets have three inside the top 15 - Blake Wheeler (fourth, 18 points), Dustin Byfuglien (tied for 10th, 15 points), and Mark Scheifele (tied for 10th, 15 points).
For Scheifele, who trains in the off-season with Tampa Bay's Stamkos, games like tonight's are always a special occasion.
"He's a pretty special player and it's always fun to go against buddies. It always pushes you to want a little more and try to beat him that much more," said Scheifele, who watches a lot of games the Lightning play.
"It's always fun to watch them play, but it's even more fun to play against them. It's one I look forward to."
Regardless of whether these teams are on the power play or not, they can both score goals.
The 132 goals the Lightning have scored are the most in the league, with the Jets not far behind with 115. Both teams average more than 30 shots on goal per game and have numerous players inside the top 10 of many of the NHL's statistical categories.
That means Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy will be busy tonight between the pipes.
"We're doing pretty well in the West, they're clearly the best team in the East right now," said head coach Paul Maurice. "On their calendar, this might be a fun one to play. Both teams are aware that the other team can score.
"It'll be fast, it'll be a little more physical than you might expect. In a lot of ways that'll be the only way for one team to stop the other is to finish their checks and get in front of them.
"Some games there is an intensity brought that you know, that you expect both teams are going to be wired and going hard. I'd expect that tonight."
Puck drop is set for 6 pm CT.
ICE CHIPS
Andrew Copp continues to progress from symptoms he felt two games after returning from a concussion he sustained on Nov. 23 in Minnesota against the Wild.
Copp played against the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers on Dec. 1 and 2, but has missed the past six games.
He was on the ice in a non-contact jersey and a tinted visor for Sunday's morning skate.
Maurice said the next step for Copp to take is to get into a full contact practice, but that won't come unless he remains symptom free after today's session.
-- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
GAME NOTES
Tonight's Game
The Winnipeg Jets play their final home game before the Christmas Break tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning...The Jets are coming off a 4-3 overtime victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night...Winnipeg plays their last three games before Christmas on the road, beginning Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings.
Working Overtime
The Jets have won back-to-back games in overtime to improve their record to 4-1 in games decided in overtime this season...Winnipeg is also 5-2 in games decided in overtime or a shootout...During the Jets current 8-1 stretch, four of the eight wins have come in overtime or a shootout...Winnipeg set a franchise record last season with four consecutive overtime or shootout wins from Mar. 20-27...Mark Scheifele scored his second overtime winner of the season on Friday and has factored in all four overtime goals the Jets have scored this season with two goals and two assists...Scheifele is one overtime point away from tying the franchise record for most overtime points in a season (Marian Hossa - 2006-07; Dustin Byfuglien - 2010-11)...Scheifele's six career overtime goals are third in franchise history, while his 12 overtime points are tied for fourth.
Gone Streaking
The Jets have won four games in a row to match their longest winning streak of the season, which occurred from Nov. 29-Dec. 4...During the last two seasons the Jets have had six winning streaks of four games or more.
In Bunches
The Jets have scored four goals or more in four consecutive games and seven of their last nine contests...Winnipeg has scored 115 goals this season, which is tied for third in the NHL...Since a 6-3 win in Vancouver on Nov. 19, the Jets have tallied 60 goals in their last 14 games (10-4-0), which is the most in the NHL...Winnipeg has scored four goals or more in nine of the 14 games...The Jets hold a plus-26 goal differential this season, which leads the Western Conference and is second in the NHL.
Wonderful Time of Year
The Jets have posted a 7-1-0 record in December to climb to first place in the Western Conference...Winnipeg ranks in the top five of several categories this month, including being tied with Tampa Bay for the most wins.
Against the East
The Jets are 9-4-1 against Eastern Conference teams this season, but 2-3-1 against the Atlantic Division...Winnipeg went 19-7-6 against the Eastern Conference last season, including a 10-3-3 record versus the Atlantic Division and 9-4-3 record against the Metropolitan Division...Blake Wheeler leads the Jets with 20 points (1G, 19A) in 14 games against the Eastern Conference, while Mark Scheifele has 16 points (10G, 6A) in 14 games...Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is 6-4-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in games against the Eastern Conference this season.
VIEW FULL GAME NOTES
Friendly Confines
Winnipeg is 12-4-2 at home this season, which is the third-most wins and tied for the second-most points in the NHL...After going 7-for-14 on the power play in their last three home games, the Jets have regained top spot in the NHL in power play percentage at home this season at 35.7% (20-for-56)...Winnipeg's 20 power play goals at home this season lead the NHL...The Jets penalty kill is 21-for-24 (87.5%) in the last nine home games.
Dynamic Duo
Mark Scheifele (2G, 1A) and Blake Wheeler (3A) each had three points against Chicago on Friday to remain tied for the team scoring lead with 43 points each...Scheifele is second on the Jets in goals (20) and assists (23)...Last night was his fourth consecutive multi-point game and 12th multi-point game of the season, which is also tied with Wheeler for most on the team this season...Wheeler had three assists on Friday and has a point in 10 of his last 11 games (2G, 16A)...Wheeler's 38 assists this season is second in the NHL...Wheeler has four three-assist games this season, which is tied for second in the league.
Streak of Three
With 20 goals in their last four games, the Jets have five players with points in four consecutive games...Mark Scheifele leads the way with 11 points in the four games (4G, 7A), while Mathieu Perreault has also scored in each of the last three games.
Multi Mo
In his last four games, defenceman Josh Morrissey has posted the most offensively productive stretch of his career thus far with three multi-point efforts (2G, 5A)...He has a point in five of his last six games (3G, 6A) and has multiple points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career...With 19 points (4G, 15A) this season, he's quickly closing in on the career-high 26 points (7G, 19A) he had last season.