Game Day Preview: Blues @ Jets

When: Friday, October 18, 2013

Time: 7:00 p.m. CST

Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB

Records: Winnipeg (3-4-0, 12th in the Western Conference), St. Louis (5-1-0, 4th in the Western Conference)

Television/Radio: TSN-Jets, FS-Midwest/TSN 1290 Radio

On the Horizon: Jets play the Nashville Predators on Sunday, October 20th (7:00 p.m. CST)

Last Game: 3-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Top Scorers:

Winnipeg Jets: Tobias Enstrom (0 goals, 6 assists, 6 points), Dustin Byfuglien (0 goals, 6 assists, 6 points), Bryan Little (3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points)

St. Louis Blues: Alexander Steen (5 goals, 4 assists, 9 points), David Backes (5 goals, 2 assists, 7 points), Derek Roy (2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points)

Game Notes:

– The Jets need to find a way to get out of a major early season scoring slump (5 goals in their last four games, including an empty netter)

– The Jets need to stay out of the penalty box. Winnipeg is one of the most penalized teams in the NHL (they have been shorthanded 35 times and for 53 minutes 55 seconds).

– St.Louis Blues have the Number-3 Ranked Power Play in the NHL (30%)

– Magnus Paajarvi played his first game of the season last night against Chicago (Acquired in the offseason in a trade for David Perron) Paajarvi was a healthy scratch for the first five games of the season.

– On Thursday, The Jets recalled Patrice Cormier from the St.Johns IceCaps of the American Hockey League. Cormier most likely will not play tonight unless one of Evander Kane, Bryan Little or Jim Slater can’t play tonight (all three players were day-to-day on Thursday).

Starting Goalies:

Brian Elliott (1 GP, 0-0-0, 6.00 GAA, .846 Save Percentage) is expected to start in net for the Blues tonight.

Ondrej Pavelec (2-4-0, 3.04 GAA,, .907 Save Percentage) will start in goal for the Jets tonight.

Projected Winnipeg Jets Line Combinations:

Evander Kane-Bryan Little-Blake Wheeler
Andrew Ladd-Mark Scheifele-Michael Frolik
Eric Tangradi-Olli Jokinen-Devin Setoguchi
James Wright-Jim Slater-Matt Halischuk

Tobias Enstrom-Zach Bogosian
Grant Clitsome-Dustin Byfuglien
Mark Stuart-Jacob Trouba

Ondrej Pavelec
Al Montoya

Healthy Scratches: Anthony Peluso, Patrice Cormier, Paul Postma

Projected St.Louis Blues Line Combinations:

Alexander Steen-David Backes- TJ Oshie
Jaden Schwartz-Patrik Berglund-Vladimir Tarasenko
Adam Cracknell–Derek Roy-Chris Stewart
Magnus Paajarvi- Vladimir Sobotka- Ryan Reaves

Jay Bouwmeester- Alex Pieterangelo
Jordan Leopold-Kevin Shattenkirk
Ian Cole-Roman Polak

Brian Elliott

Jaroslav Halak

Healthy Scratches: Barret Jackman, Brenden Morrow.

Injury Report:

St. Louis Blues: None

Winnipeg Jets:  Chris Thorburn (lower body, IR)