Game Day Set-Up: Jets @ Avalanche

When: Sunday, December 29, 2013

Time: 7:00 p.m. CST

Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

Records: Winnipeg Jets (17-18-5, 11th in the Western Conference), Colorado Avalanche (23-11-5, 7th in the Western Conference)

Television/Radio: TSN-JETS, RDS2, ALT/ TSN 1290 Radio

On the Horizon: Tuesday, December 31st at home against the Buffalo Sabres (7:00 p.m. CST).

Last Game: 6-4 home win over the Minnesota Wild

Top Scorers:

Winnipeg Jets: Bryan Little (14 goals, 19 assists, 33 points), Blake Wheeler (14 goals, 15 assists, 29 points), Dustin Byfuglien (7 goals, 21 assists, 28 points), Andrew Ladd (9 goals, 18 assists, 27 points), Olli Jokinen (9 goals, 16 assists, 25 points)

Colorado Avalanche: Matt Duchene (16 goals, 18 assists, 34 points), Gabriel Landeskog (11 goals, 15 assists, 26 points), Ryan O’Reilly (12 goals, 13 assists, 25 points),  PA Parenteau (9 goals, 15 assists, 24 points), Paul Stastny (11 goals, 13 assists, 24 points)

Game Day Notes:

– The Avalanche lost their last game 7-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday and have only won three of their last 10 games

– The Avalanche average 2.86 goals/game, 10th in the NHL. By comparison, the Jets average 2.60 goals/game, 17th in the NHL.

– The Jets have a record of 4-11-3 against Central Division opponents this year.

– Jets d-man Zach Bogosian did not play Friday night but he will return to the line-up tonight. Jets Head Coach Claude Noel said Bogosian was likely kept out of Friday’s game because of food poisoning, not the flu as originally reported by various sources.

– Jets forward Blake Wheeler has nine goals and three assists in his last 12 games.

Special Teams Breakdown:

– Colorado has the 19th Ranked Power Play in the NHL (16.2%) and the 23rd Ranked Penalty Kill in the NHL (80.2%)

– Winnipeg has the 24th Ranked Power Play in the NHL (15.2%) and the 14th Ranked Penalty Kill in the NHL (82.2%)

Starting Goalies:

– Al Montoya (6-2-1, 2.14 GAA, .923 Save Percentage)

–  Semyon Varlamov (16-8-3, 2.37 GAA, .926 Save Percentage)  

Projected Winnipeg Jets Line Combinations:

Andrew Ladd-Bryan Little-Blake Wheeler
Evander Kane-Mark Scheifele-Michael Frolik
Chris Thorburn-Olli Jokinen-Devin Setoguchi
Eric Tangradi-James Wright- Anthony Peluso

Tobias Enstrom- Zach Bogosian
Keaton Ellerby- Dustin Byfuglien
Mark Stuart- Jacob Trouba

Al Montoya
Ondrej Pavelec

Healthy Scratches: Eric O’Dell, Adam Pardy, Julian Melchiori

Projected Colorado Avalanche Line Combinations:

Ryan O’Reilly- Matt Duchene- Nathan MacKinnon
Gabriel Landeskog-Paul Stastny-P.A. Parenteau
Jamie McGinn-John Mitchell-Max Talbot
Cody McLeod-Marc-Andre Cliche-Patrick Bordeleau

Erik Johnson-Jan Hejda
Cory Sarich- Andre Benoit
Tyson Barrie- Ryan Wilson

Semyon Varlamov
Jean-Sebastien Giguere

Healthy Scratches: Nick Holden, Brad Malone, Nate Guenin

Injury Report:

Colorado Avalanche: Alex Tanguay (knee)

Winnipeg Jets:  Matt Halischuk (forearm, Injured Reserve), Paul Postma (leg, indefinitely), Jim Slater (sports hernia surgery, indefinitely),  Grant Clitsome (back, Injured Reserve)