GAMEDAY: Jets at Canucks

VANCOUVER -If the Winnipeg Jets (19-9-1) want to extend their four-game win streak on the road, they're going to have to prevail over the Vancouver Canucks (13-13-3) while missing even more key pieces from their line-up.
Already without Nikolaj Ehlers, Saku Maenalanen, Mason Appleton, and Logan Stanley, the injury list grew by two more names on Saturday morning.
Blake Wheeler didn't make the road trip after having a procedure on Friday to address the injury he sustained in the 2-1 overtime win over Nashville. In that same game, Nate Schmidt was hit by Tanner Jeannot in the opening period and didn't return, he'll also miss 4-6 weeks with an upper-body injury.
Wheeler's injury means the Jets are without three of the right-wingers they started the season with.
"The whole right side has changed from what we had projected," said head coach Rick Bowness after the morning skate. "Listen, we're the Winnipeg Jets. We look for solutions, we don't look for excuses. We've had a lot of injuries all year. We're going to continue to have them and we're going to continue to play with the next man up and find solutions - absolutely no excuses."

So that's the mentality the Jets will go into tonight's game against the Canucks with. It's the first stop on a two-game Pacific Division road trip, and the start of the fifth off 13 back-to-back sets the Jets will play this season.

The win over Nashville on Thursday moved the Jets to 7-3-0 in their last 10, which is the exact same record the Canucks have in that same span after a 4-3 win over Calgary on Wednesday.
Bowness feels the Canucks are a much different team than the one that went 2-5-2 in October.
"They're playing a lot better," said Bowness. "We're playing a team, there are times you play in the regular season and you're 'okay they're off their game.' Right now we're playing a team that is on their game and they know they have to win now, in the next couple of weeks, to get back in the playoff race."
Connor Hellebuyck will be tasked with thwarting the Canucks offence as he makes his 24th start of the season tonight. In front of him, the Jets are expected to line up like this:
Perfetti-Scheifele-Kuhlman
Connor-Dubois-Gagner
Barron-Lowry-Harkins
Gustafsson-Stenlund-Jonsson-Fjallby
Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
Capobianco-Samberg
Karson Kuhlman, who the Jets claimed off waivers on Tuesday from the Seattle Kraken - coincidentally Winnipeg's opponent on Sunday - will make his Jets debut tonight and playing alongside Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti is quite the opportunity for the 27-year-old.

Scheifele said that communication will be a big part of trying to integrate Kuhlman on the fly.
"It's hard to talk about too much without actually playing with him or seeing him play in a game," said Scheifele. "I'm sure there will be a lot of conversations on the bench tonight about certain reads and where to go, where not to go, stuff like that. That will come pretty quick. It's all a learning process. There will be a lot of talk tonight, then just go out there and play."
Capobianco is also itching to get into the Jets line-up. Tonight will mark his first game since November 19 against Pittsburgh. He'll also get some power play time, as the injuries to Wheeler and Schmidt - a member from each of the Jets two power play units - created some vacancies to be filled.
Cole Perfetti will move to the unit with Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Josh Morrissey. Capobianco will join Adam Lowry, Sam Gagner, Neal Pionk, and Kevin Stenlund.
"I'm just going to try and contribute as best I can, shoot the puck, get it on net, and when we get out there, try to get some good o-zone time," said Capobianco, adding that Schmidt's presence is certainly missed on the back end.
"He's such a big voice in our room. He's such a great guy. Even on this trip you miss him because he's such a vocal guy. But I think guys are looking to step up and hopefully play well."

That's exactly what Bowness expects out of his group. He also added that Ville Heinola - recalled from the Manitoba Moose just before the team left Winnipeg yesterday - should also expect to see some action soon.
The defenceman, like many in the Jets organization, missed time due to an illness that caused him to miss the last four games with the Manitoba Moose.
So, even with two big parts of the team unavailable for a while, Bowness still expects the most out of his group - no matter the circumstances.
After all, Wheeler showed that very characteristic on Thursday, going right back to the scene of his injury with the game on the line.
"You give him 100 percent credit to come back and play in the third period like he did. He's one tough cookie, man," said Bowness. "You go look at the third period, there are three-and-a-half minutes to go in the game, a 1-1 game, the puck goes back to the D, and who is the first guy at net front? Blake. Looking for a tip, looking for a screen, he didn't hesitate to go in there.
"This is something that had to be dealt with, it's dealt with, and we need him to have a speedy recovery and get him back on the ice - and in the room - as quick as we can."
Puck drop is set for 9 pm CT.
-- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
Game Notes
Winnipeg plays 16 games in 30 days from December 2-31, that stretch includes three back-to-backs. The Jets only consecutive days off in December are from December 24-26 for the Christmas break.
The Jets are playing their fifth of 13 back-to-back sets on their schedule this season, having gone 6-2-0 so far. The Jets were 6-4-2 in the first game of a back-to-back last season, and 5-5-2 in the second game for an overall record of 11-9-4.
Winnipeg is 4-3-1 against the Pacific Division this season. Six of Winnipeg's 16 games in December are against Pacific Division teams.
With four consecutive wins away from Canada Life Centre, the Jets are 8-4-1 on the road this season. The 13 games Winnipeg has played on the road this season is tied for the fifth fewest.
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