Game Day Set-Up: Jets @ Avalanche

When: Thursday, December 11, 2014

Time: 8:00 p.m. CST

Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

Records: Winnipeg Jets (15-9-5, 35 points, 7th in West), Colorado Avalanche (9-13-6, 24 points, 12th in West)

Television/Radio: TSN3, ALT/ TSN 1290 Radio

On the Horizon: Saturday, December 13th at home against the Anaheim Ducks (6:00 p.m. CST).

Last Game: 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars

Top Scorers:

Winnipeg Jets: Andrew Ladd (10 goals, 12 assists, 22 points), Blake Wheeler (9 goals, 13 assists, 22 points), Bryan Little (11 goals, 9 assists, 20 points), Dustin Byfuglien (7 goals, 8 assists, 15 points), Jacob Trouba (4 goals, 8 assists, 12 points)

Colorado Avalanche: Tyson Barrie (3 goals, 17 assists, 20 points), Matt Duchene (9 goals, 9 assists, 18 points), Nathan MacKinnon (5 goals, 13 assists, 18 points), Jarome Iginla (6 goals, 11 assists, 17 points), Alex Tanguay (9 goals, 8 assists, 17 points)

Game Day Notes:

– The Jets are 5-0-2 in their last seven games.

– The Jets record on the road is 9-4-2.

– The Jets have a record of 5-3-1 against teams in the Central Division this year.

– This is the third of five meetings between the Jets and Avalanche this year. The Jets next play the Avalanche in Winnipeg on Sunday, February 8th.

– Jets forward Evander Kane will miss his second consecutive game tonight as he serves the second game of a two game suspension that was handed down to him by the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety.

– According to Brian Munz of TSN 1290 Rado, Ondrej Pavelec will start in net for the Jets tonight. In 22 games this year, Pavelec has a record of 9-8-3 with a .915 Save Percentage and 2.30 Goals Against Average.

– According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, Calvin Pickard is expected to get the start in net tonight for Colorado. In 8 games this season, Pickard has a record of 3-5-0 with a .929 save percentage and 2.30 Goals Against Average.

– According to Drew Spevak of ESPNDenver.com, Paul Carey was not on the ice for the morning skate and did not have a locker stall in the Avalanche dressing room. Carey will likely be re-assigned to the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL).  The 26-year-old Boston native has played three games for the Avalanche this year (no points).

-Both Dennis Everberg (shoulder) and Patrick Bordeleau (back) practiced with the team today. According to Spevak, the Avalanche activated Everberg and placed John Mitchell on Injured Reserve. Everberg will play for the Avalanche tonight. Everberg has one goal and three assists in 13 games for the Avalanche this season.

– Brad Stuart also practiced with the Avalanche prior to tonight’s game. Stuart has not played since November 4th against Vancouver (hamstring).

– Milestone Watch: Chris Thorburn is two points shy of 100 career points.

– Red Hot: Dustin Byfuglien is on a five game points streak (four goals and three assists).

– Ice Cold: Mark Scheifele has no goals over the last nine games (two assists).

– Defenseman Erik Johnson leads the Avalanche in ice time, averaging 23:41 of ice time per game.

– Avalanche Top Face-off Guy: Ryan O’Reilly (50.2%)

– Jets Top Face-off Guy: Jim Slater (56.6%)

– Who’s Under the Microscope for Colorado: Calvin Pickard. The Avalanche are desperate for points and with Semyon Varlamov out with a groin injury, Pickard is they guy between the pipes for now.

– Who’s Under the Microscope for Winnipeg: Mark Scheifele. Scheifele is under the microscope for a third game in a row. The Jets scored 5 goals in the win over Dallas but Scheifele did not register a single point. Scheifele did get a double minor for roughing for sticking up for his teammate Michael Frolik though.

Special Teams Breakdown:

– Colorado PP (13.3%, 26th in NHL), Colorado PK (87.1%, 4th in NHL)

– Winnipeg PP (13.5%, 25th in NHL), Winnipeg PK (83.9%, 9th in NHL)

Projected Winnipeg Jets Line Combinations:

Andrew Ladd- Bryan Little- Blake Wheeler
Mathieu Perreault- Mark Scheifele- Michael Frolik
Chris Thorburn- Adam Lowry-Matt Halischuk
TJ Galiardi- Jim Slater- Anthony Peluso

Mark Stuart- Jacob Trouba
Ben Chiarot- Dustin Byfuglien
Adam Pardy- Paul Postma

Ondrej Pavelec
Michael Hutchinson

Healthy Scratches: Julien Brouillette, Patrice Cormier

Projected Colorado Avalanche Line Combinations:

Alex Tanguay- Matt Duchene- Ryan O’Reilly
Gabriel Landeskog- Nathan MacKinnon- Jarome Iginla
Cody McLeod- Max Talbot- Danny Briere
Nick Holden- Borna Rendulic- Dennis Everberg

Jan Hejda- Erik Johnson
Nate Guenin – Tyson Barrie
Karl Stollery- Zach Redmond

Calvin Pickard
Reto Berra

Healthy Scratches:

Injury Report:

Colorado Avalanche: Semyon Varlamov (groin), John Mitchell (leg, IR), Ben Street (hand), Marc-Andre Cliche (oblique),  Jamie McGinn (back), Brad Stuart (hamstring), Ryan Wilson (shoulder), Jesse Winchester (concussion), Patrick Bordeleau (back)

Winnipeg Jets:  Tobias Enstrom (lower body, Injured Reserve), Grant Clistome (undisclosed), Zach Bogosian (lower body)