Jets at Golden Knights preview
Subban makes start for Vegas; Brossoit gets call for Winnipeg
by Danny Webster / NHL.com Independent Correspondent
JETS (7-7-0) at GOLDEN KNIGHTS (8-5-1)
10 p.m. ET; ESPN+, SN360, CITY, SNE, SNO, SNW, ATTSN-RM, NHL.TV
The Game
Malcolm Subban will start in place of Marc-Andre Fleury (illness) when the Vegas Golden Knights host the Winnipeg Jets at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.
Fleury leads NHL goalies in starts (12) and victories (eight). Subban will start for the first time since Oct. 10, a 4-1 loss at the Arizona Coyotes. He played one period before leaving the game with a lower-body injury.
Garret Sparks was recalled on an emergency basis from Chicago of the American Hockey League on Friday and will back up Subban.
The Jets, who have lost five of their past eight games (3-5-0) are playing the second game of a back-to-back after defeating the San Jose Sharks 3-2 at SAP Center on Friday. Laurent Brossoit will start in goal.
Players to watch
Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers has six points (four goals, two assists) in the past four games.
Golden Knights forward Mark Stone has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in the past 10 games.
They said it
"Exceptionally atypical, we hope. We would have the expectation that we can play better [Saturday] night. San Jose was really good, our goaltender was really good." -- Jets coach Paul Maurice on goaltender Connor Hellebuyck making 51 saves on Friday
"[The Jets] had a tough night. With 53 shots, you put their defensemen and goaltender in [a tough spot]. That's a lot of going back into your own zone. That could be an area of focus tonight, just making sure if their defensemen do come up, it's got to be all the way." -- Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt
Jets projected lineup
Kyle Connor -- Mark Scheifele -- Blake Wheeler
Nikolaj Ehlers -- Bryan Little -- Jack Roslovic
Andrew Copp -- Adam Lowry -- Gabriel Bourque
Mathieu Perreault -- David Gustafsson -- Logan Shaw
Josh Morrissey -- Tucker Poolman
Dmitry Kulikov -- Neal Pionk
Luca Sbisa -- Anthony Bitetto
Laurent Brossoit
Connor Hellebuyck
Scratched: Carl Dahlstrom, CJ Suess
Injured: Mark Letestu (heart), Patrik Laine (lower body), Mason Appleton (foot), Nathan Beaulieu (upper body)
Suspended: Dustin Byfuglien
Golden Knights projected lineup
Jonathan Marchessault -- William Karlsson -- Reilly Smith
Max Pacioretty -- Paul Stastny -- Mark Stone
Alex Tuch -- Cody Eakin -- Cody Glass
William Carrier -- Tomas Nosek -- Ryan Reaves
Brayden McNabb -- Nate Schmidt
Jon Merrill -- Shea Theodore
Nick Holden -- Deryk Engelland
Malcolm Subban
Garret Sparks
Scratched: Marc-Andre Fleury, Brandon Pirri
Injured: None
Suspended: Valentin Zykov
Status report
Winnipeg did not hold a morning skate, so there was no update on Laine nor Beaulieu. … Lowry is eligible to play after serving a two-game suspension for boarding Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington during the 2019 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic on Oct. 26.
Stat pack
Vegas is 4-1-0, including postseason, against Winnipeg at T-Mobile Arena. … Little has five points (two goals, three assists) during a four-game point streak. … Subban recorded his first NHL shutout against the Jets on March 21, a 5-0 victory. … Karlsson is on a three-game goal streak. … Statsny is three points from 700 in the NHL.