Game Day Preview: Jets @ Panthers

When: Thursday, December 5, 2013

Time: 6:30 p.m. CST

Where: BB & T Center, Sunrise, Florida

Records: Winnipeg Jets (13-12-4, 11th in the Western Conference), Florida Panthers (7-16-5, 15th in the Eastern Conference)

Television/Radio: TSN-JETS, FS-F/ TSN 1290 Radio

On the Horizon: Saturday, December 7th on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning (6:00 p.m. CST).

Last Game: 5-2 win over the New York Rangers

Top Scorers:

Winnipeg Jets: Bryan Little (12 goals, 14 assists, 26 points), Dustin Byfuglien (6 goals, 16 assists, 22 points), Andrew Ladd (7 goals, 13 assists, 20 points), Blake Wheeler (6 goals, 12 assists, 18 points), Olli Jokinen (6 goals, 11 assists, 17 points)

Florida Panthers: Scottie Upshall (6 goals, 9 assists, 15 points), Brian Campbell (4 goals, 11 assists, 15 points), Brad Boyes (8 goals, 5 assists, 13 points), Jonathan Huberdeau (6 goals, 7 assists, 13 points), Tomas Fleischmann (3 goals, 10 assists, 13 points)

Game Day Notes:

– The Panthers have lost three games in a row, including their last game 4-2 to the Ottawa Senators. Florida is 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.

– Florida averages 2.11 goals for/game (28th in the NHL). Winnipeg ranks 20th in the NHL (2.52 goals/game)

– 24-year-old rookie forward John Albert scored his first career goal on his first career shot in Monday’s 5-2 win over the New York Rangers. Albert was a 2007 draft pick of the Atlanta Thrashers (6th round, 175th overall).

– The Jets are 3-1 so far on their current six-game road trip and are 7-2-1 against teams in the Eastern Conference

– Jets left winger Evander Kane will miss his 2nd consecutive game tonight with a lower body injury. Kane left last Friday’s game with Philadelphia after he was hit into the board by Flyers defenceman Braydon Coburn.

– Olli Jokinen is the Florida Panthers all time Points Leader with 419 points (188 goals, 231 assists) in 567 career games. Jokinen played on the Panthers for eight seasons (2000-2008).

Special Teams Breakdown:

– Florida has the 28th Ranked Power Play in the NHL (12.4%) and the 28th Ranked Penalty Kill in the NHL (75.3%)

– Winnipeg has the 30th Ranked Power Play in the NHL (11.2%) and the 14th Ranked Penalty Kill in the NHL (83.3%)

Starting Goalies:

– Ondrej Pavelec (10-10-3, 2.66 GAA, .917 Save Percentage)

– Tim Thomas (6-10-1, 2.96 GAA, .904 Save Percentage)  

Projected Winnipeg Jets Line Combinations:

Andrew Ladd-Bryan Little-Blake Wheeler
Chris Thorburn-Olli Jokinen-Devin Setoguchi
Matt Halischuk-Mark Scheifele-Michael Frolik
James Wright-John Albert-Anthony Peluso

Dustin Byfuglien- Tobias Enstrom
Jacob Trouba – Grant Clitsome
Mark Stuart- Keaton Ellerby

Ondrej Pavelec
Al Montoya

Healthy Scratches: Eric Tangradi, Adam Pardy

Projected Florida Panthers Line Combinations:

Jonathan Huberdeau- Nick Bjugstad- Scottie Upshall
Sean Bergenheim-Aleksander Barkov-Brad Boyes
Jesse Winchester-Marcel Goc-Tomas Fleischmann
Jimmy Hayes- Shawn Matthias-Krys Barch

Brian Campbell -Tom Gilbert
Erik Gudbranson-Dylan Olsen
Dmitry Kulikov- Mike Weaver

Tim Thomas
Scott Clemmensen

Healthy Scratches: Mike Mottau

Injury Report:

Florida Panthers: Matt Gilroy (lower body), Tomas Kopecky (wrist), Ed Jovanovski (hip)

Winnipeg Jets:  Paul Postma (leg, indefinitely), Jim Slater (sports hernia surgery, indefinitely), Zach Bogosian (lower body, Injured Reserve), Evander Kane (lower body, day-to-day)