Preview: Jets at Blackhawks

JETS (12-13-2) at BLACKHAWKS (16-7-3)
7 p.m. ET; CSN-CH, SN, NHL.TV

Jets team scope

Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele is day to day with a lower-body injury and will miss his second straight game. Scheifele, who has 13 goals and 26 assists, was a late scratch prior to the Jets' 4-3 overtime win at the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Bryan Little handled the center position for the Jets' top line, skating between Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine. In overtime, Little scored off Laine's cross-ice pass. "We didn't have the puck as much as we would've liked, but when we did have it we were creating a lot of chances and we took advantage of that," Little told the Jets website. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck will start for the Jets. Hellebuyck is 1-1-0 with a 1.03 goals-against average, .966 save percentage and one shutout in two games against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Blackhawks team scope

Center Jonathan Toews remains out. Toews has missed five games with a reported back injury and was placed on injured reserve Friday retroactive to Nov. 24, the day after he was injured against the San Jose Sharks. "He's out tonight," coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday. "We'll see how he is. [Give him] the next couple, three days off, keep him off the ice. He was out there for a little bit this morning, but we're going to keep him off for a few days and get a better assessment in the middle of the week or so." With goalie Corey Crawford out 2-3 weeks after he had an emergency appendectomy Saturday, Chicago sent rookie center Nick Schmaltz to Rockford of the American Hockey League on Sunday and recalled goalie Lars Johansson, who played the past three seasons for Frolunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League. Johansson, 29, has yet to make his NHL debut and will likely backup Scott Darling against the Jets. Darling started in Chicago's 3-1 loss at the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday and is expected to play the finale of the Blackhawks' back-to-back set. He will also handle most of the work with Crawford out. "We have plenty of confidence in [Darling]," defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said Saturday. "We all know how well he can play and I think he's more than ready for an opportunity to play some games in a row." Chicago did not hold a morning skate.

Jets projected lineup

Nikolaj Ehlers -- Bryan Little -- Patrik Laine
Drew Stafford -- Blake Wheeler -- Mathieu Perreault
Andrew Copp -- Adam Lowry -- Marko Dano
Brandon Tanev -- Alexander Burmistrov -- Chris Thorburn
Josh Morrissey -- Dustin Byfuglien
Toby Enstrom -- Jacob Trouba
Ben Chiarot -- Paul Postma
Connor Hellebuyck
Michael Hutchinson
Scratched:Kyle Connor, Mark Stuart
Injured:Mark Scheifele (lower body), Joel Armia (lower body), Shawn Matthias (lower body), Tyler Myers (lower body), Nic Petan (lower body)

Blackhawks projected lineup

Artemi Panarin -- Artem Anisimov - Patrick Kane
Ryan Hartman -- Vinnie Hinostroza - Marian Hossa
Dennis Rasmussen -- Marcus Kruger - Richard Panik
Tyler Motte -- Andrew Desjardins - Jordin Tootoo
Duncan Keith -- Niklas Hjalmarsson
Brian Campbell -- Brent Seabrook
Gustav Forsling - Michal Rozsival
Scott Darling
Lars Johansson
Scratched:Michal Kempny, Trevor van Riemsdyk
Injured:Jonathan Toews (upper body), Corey Crawford (appendectomy)

Status report

Connor and Stuart have each been scratched in the Jets' past two games. … The Blackhawks will not have to place anybody on waivers or send anybody else to Rockford if Toews is activated and plays. If he comes off injured reserve, they can place Crawford on injured reserve to create a roster spot. … Chicago is rotating players as its sixth defenseman. Kempny and van Riemsdyk, who each finished with minus-2 ratings against the Flyers, might be scratched.

Who's hot

Laine has four goals and one assist in a three-game point streak for the Jets. … Kane has points in four of his past five games (two goals, two assists).