GAMEDAY: Canadiens at Jets

WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets will play their final game before the Olympic break as they host the Montreal Canadiens at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday night.

Winnipeg came close to pulling off a come from behind win in Dallas on Monday night, but Thomas Harley scored in overtime to give the Stars a 4-3 victory. The Jets trailed late in the third period 3-2 before Logan Stanley got a friendly bounce to tie the game with 1:43 left.

The single point gave the Jets five out of a possible eight points from their four-game road trip. They enter tonight’s game nine points out of a playoff spot with 27 games remaining in their schedule.

“Five out of eight is good but we’re desperate for points. We gotta win them all,” said Stanley on Monday night.

“So, it stings. Usually, you’re happy with a point at the end of a road trip in a tough building like this, but it stings for sure.”

Stanley is now one goal away from becoming the eighth defenceman in franchise history to record 10 goals in a season. Stanley will join Dustin Byfuglien (6), Josh Morrissey (5), Neal Pionk (2), Toby Enstrom (2), Jacob Trouba (1), Zach Bogosian (1), and Yannick Tremblay (1) with his next goal.

Winnipeg will welcome the Canadiens who are also coming off a 4-3 overtime loss on the road. Montreal lost to the Minnesota Wild on Monday and are sitting in the first wild card spot in the east. The last time these two Canadian rivals played was back on December 3, a 3-2 shootout loss for the Jets in Montreal.

“They’re a really fast, dynamic team. Obviously, a lot of skill throughout their lineup. They’ve playing with a ton of confidence. They defend well with their speed and with how quick they are to close you off. For us, we definitely can’t feed into their transition,” said Josh Morrissey.

“We want to play a game that doesn’t give them anything free because they’ll take advantage of it with the high-end skill that they have.”

Morrissey remains within one point of Dustin Byfuglien's franchise record for the most points by a defenceman (416). After becoming the second Jets defenceman to play 700 career games on Dec. 31, Morrissey is now also only two games shy of tying Toby Enstrom for the most games played by a defenceman in franchise history (719).

As a team, the Jets are getting closer to the form that wins hockey games and want to continue that trend tonight and after the break.

“We went into Florida, played great. That's the style against a top end team the past couple years, you go in there and tough building and place complete 60-minute game, come back in the third period like that was really good,” said Cole Perfetti who has goals in back-to-back games.

“Even in Dallas, I thought we played well in spurts, we didn't, we had our moments. But I think for the most part, we played pretty well. And they're obviously a top team in our division. So, I thought, I think our game as a team is trending in the right direction and we're starting to do a lot of the right things, and starting to get a couple wins here, and hopefully we can get a few more.”

Perfetti will remain with Adam Lowry and Gabe Vilardi on the Jets second line. Head coach Scott Arniel likes the chemistry he is seeing between Perfetti and Vilardi.

"Obviously you know Gabe and his ability to hold onto pucks and make plays, to get to the net front. Fetts, he has real good vision. He makes plays. He's also got that mindset to shoot the puck and he gets inside. So I think there's a good combination there, whether it was JT with them or whether it was Low with them on this road trip," said Arniel.

"There's just some chemistry. They've kind of been playing together for a while now, and that helps. Being with the same linemates certainly helps figure each other out, what you're up to each and every shift."

Puck drop is scheduled for 6 CT.