Game Day Set-Up: Jets @ Blackhawks

When: Tuesday, December 23rd, 2014

Time: 7:30 p.m. CST

Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

Records: Winnipeg Jets (17-10-7, 41 points, 6th in West), Chicago Blackhawks (23-9-2, 49 points, 2nd in West)

Television/Radio: CSN-CH+, TSN3/ TSN 1290 Radio

On the Horizon: Saturday, December 27th on the road against the Minnesota Wild (6:00 p.m. CST).

Last Game: 4-3 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers

Top Scorers:

Winnipeg Jets: Andrew Ladd (11 goals, 12 assists, 23 points), Blake Wheeler (9 goals, 14 assists, 23 points), Bryan Little (12 goals, 10 assists, 22 points), Dustin Byfuglien (8 goals, 10 assists, 18 points), Mark Scheifele (6 goals, 12 assists, 18 points)

Chicago Blackhawks: Patrick Kane (16 goals, 20 assists, 36 points), Jonathan Toews (13 goals, 16 assists, 29 points), Kris Versteeg (9 goals, 16 assists, 25 points), Marian Hossa (6 goals, 15 assists, 21 points), Brandon Saad (7 goals, 14 assists, 21 points)

Game Day Notes:

– The Jets are 5-1-4 in their last 10 games.

– Jets Road Record: 9-4-4.

– The Jets have scored the first goal 12 out of the last 15 games.

– The Jets have scored the third fewest goals in the Western Conference (83).

– This is the second of five meetings between the Jets and Blackhawks this year. The Jets defeated the Blackhawks 1-0 back on November 2nd in Chicago. Jets goalie Michael Hutchinson made 33 saves for the shutout in that game. Since that victory, the Jets have a record of 11-5-6 while the Blackhawks have a record of 17-4-1.

– Jets forward Mathieu Perreault is on a seven game points streak (three goals, four assists).

– Jets forward Mark Scheifele has three goals and five assists in the last five games.

– According to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune, Blackhawks forward Brad Richards will not play tonight and will miss his second consecutive game with an upper body injury.

– According to Tim Campell of the Winnipeg Free Press, Michael Hutchinson will start in net for the Jets tonight. In 12 games this year, Hutchinson has a record of 7-2-2 with a .940 Save Percentage and 1.73 Goals Against Average

– According to Scott Powers of ESPNChicago,  Corey Crawford will start for Chicago in net tonight. In 19 games this season, Crawford has a record of 12-5-2 with a .927 save percentage and 1.87 Goals Against Average.

– Winnipeg is 4th in the NHL in team goals against (2.21 goals/game). At the end of last year, the Jets were 22nd in the NHL in team goals against (2.82 goals against/game)

– Milestone Watch: Chris Thorburn is one point away from 100 career points.

– Defenseman Duncan Keith leads all Blackhawks in ice time, averaging 25:50 of ice time per game.

– Hawks Top Face-off Guy: Jonathan Toews (57.1%)

– Jets Top Face-off Guy: Jim Slater (55.8%)

– Who’s Under the Microscope for Chicago: Kris Versteeg. Versteeg has been a Jet killer in the past dating back to his days in Florida and he is playing on the second line right now which on most teams would be their first line.

– Who’s Under the Microscope for Winnipeg: Michael Frolik, Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd. This trio always seems to be under the microscope when they return to the city where they all have previously won a Stanley Cup (Byfuglien and Ladd in 2010, Frolik in 2013.)

Special Teams Breakdown:

– Chicago PP (18.0%,17th in NHL), Chicago PK (91.6%, 1st in NHL)

– Winnipeg PP (15.0%, 24th in NHL), Winnipeg PK (84.4%, 8th in NHL)

Projected Winnipeg Jets Line Combinations:

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

Ben Chiarot- Dustin Byfuglien
Adam Pardy- Paul Postma
Jay Harrison- Grant Clitsome

Michael Hutchinson
Ondrej Pavelec

Healthy Scratches: Julien Brouillette, TJ Galiardi

Projected Chicago Blackhawks Line Combinations:

Brandon Saad- Jonathan Toews- Marian Hossa
Kris Versteeg- Patrick Sharp- Patrick Kane
Bryan Bickell- Andrew Shaw- Dan Carcillo
Joakim Nordstrom- Marcus Kruger- Ben Smith

Duncan Keith- Brent Seabrook
Niklas Hjalmarsson- Johnny Oduya
David Rundblad- Michal Rozsival

Corey Crawford
Antti Raanta

Healthy Scratches:

Injury Report:

Chicago Blackhawks: Brad Richards (upper body), Trevor van Riemsdyk (knee)

Winnipeg Jets:  Tobias Enstrom (lower body, IR), Zach Bogosian (lower body), Jacob Trouba (upper body, IR), Mark Stuart (lower body)