Game Day Set-Up: Jets @ Blue Jackets

When: Monday, December 16, 2013

Time: 6:00 p.m. CST

Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio

Records: Winnipeg Jets (14-15-5, 12th in the Western Conference), Columbus Blue Jackets (14-15-4, 9th in the Eastern Conference)

Television/Radio: CBC, TXA 21/ TSN 1290 Radio

On the Horizon: Tuesday, December 17th on the road against the Buffalo Sabres (6:00 p.m. CST).

Last Game: 6-4 loss at home to the Dallas Stars

Top Scorers:

Winnipeg Jets: Bryan Little (13 goals, 17 assists, 30 points), Blake Wheeler (11 goals, 14 assists, 25 points), Dustin Byfuglien (6 goals, 17 assists, 23 points), Andrew Ladd (8 goals, 14 assists, 22 points), Olli Jokinen (8 goals, 13 assists, 21 points)

Columbus Blue Jackets: Ryan Johansen (12 goals, 14 assists, 26 points), Brandon Dubinsky (6 goals, 15 assists, 21 points), James Wisniewski (2 goals, 16 assists, 18 points), R.J. Umberger (7 goals, 10 assists, 17 points), Nick Foligno (9 goals, 8 assists, 17 points)

Game Day Notes:

– The Blue Jackets are coming off a 4-3 Overtime loss to the St.Louis Blues on Saturday and are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games

– The Jets have a record of 6-2-1 against Eastern Conference opponents this year.

– Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane will return to the line-up tonight after missing the last six games with a lower body injury. Kane has 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in 26 games this season.

– On Sunday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Jets forward Anthony Peluso was suspended three games (without pay) for his hit on Dallas Stars defenceman Alex Goligoski during Saturday’s game at the MTS Centre. Peluso received a five-minute boarding major on the play. Peluso has never been suspended in the NHL before.

– Matt Halishuk will not be in the line-up for the Jets tonight and did not travel with the team. After scoring a 1st period goal during Saturday’s game against the Stars, Halischuk suffered an injury after a blocking a shot that forced him to leave the game. According to Scott Brown, Winnipeg Jets Senior Director of Corporate Communications, Halischuk underwent successful forearm surgery on Sunday and is out indefinitely.

Special Teams Breakdown:

– Columbus has the 10th Ranked Power Play in the NHL (19.4%) and the 19th Ranked Penalty Kill in the NHL (81.3%)

– Winnipeg has the 27th Ranked Power Play in the NHL (12.9%) and the 15th Ranked Penalty Kill in the NHL (82.6%)

Starting Goalies:

– Al Montoya (4-2-1, 2.26 GAA, .921 Save Percentage)

–  Mike McKenna (0-0-1, 3.00 GAA, .898 Save Percentage)  

Projected Winnipeg Jets Line Combinations:

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

Dustin Byfuglien- Grant Clitsome
Jacob Trouba – Tobias Enstrom
Mark Stuart- Adam Pardy

Al Montoya
Ondrej Pavelec

Healthy Scratches: Keaton Ellerby

Projected Columbus Blue Jackets Line Combinations:

Nick Foligno- Ryan Johansen- R.J. Umberger
Matt Calvert-Brandon Dubinsky-Cam Atkinson
Boone Jenner-Artem Anisimov-Blake Comeau
Mark Letestu-Derek MacKenzie-Corey Tropp

Jack Johnson – Fedor Tyutin
David Savard- Ryan Murray
Nikita Nikitin- Daulton Prout

Mike McKenna
Jeremy Smith

Healthy Scratches: Tim Erixon

Injury Report:

Columbus Blue Jackets: James Wisniewksi (upper body), Curtis McElhinney (lower body), Sergei Bobrovsky (lower body), Marian Gaborik (knee), Nathan Horton (shoulder), Jared Boll (foot)

Winnipeg Jets:  Matt Halischuk (forearm, Injured Reserve), Paul Postma (leg, indefinitely), Jim Slater (sports hernia surgery, indefinitely), Zach Bogosian (lower body)