Game Day Set-Up: Jets @ Islanders

When: Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Time: 6:00 p.m. CST

Where: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York

Records: Winnipeg Jets (3-5-0), New York Islanders (6-2-0)

Television/Radio: TSN3, MSG PLUS/ TSN 1290 Radio

On the Horizon: Thursday, October 30th on the road against the New Jersey Devils (6:00 p.m. CST).

Last Game: 2-1 win (OT) over the Colorado Avalanche

Top Scorers:

Winnipeg Jets: Tobias Enstrom (0 goals, 6 assists, 6 points), Blake Wheeler (3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points), Andrew Ladd (2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points), Bryan Little (5 goals, 1 assist, 6 points), Dustin Byfuglien (2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points)

New York Islanders: John Tavares (3 goals, 8 assists, 11 points), Kyle Okposo (3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points), Brock Nelson (5 goals, 5 assists, 10 points), Frans Nielsen (4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points), Ryan Strome (0 goals, 7 assists, 7 points)

Game Day Notes:

– This is the first game of a four game road trip for the Jets. After tonight’s game, the Jets will play the New Jersey Devils (Thursday, October 30th), New York Rangers (Saturday, November 1st) and Chicago Blackhawks (Sunday, November 2nd).

– Jets forward Evander Kane is travelling with the team on the current road trip but will not play tonight, missing his eighth consecutive game. Kane has been skating on his own but he is not expected to play on the road trip. Jets Head Coach Paul Maurice said last Sunday night that he believed Kane was at least one more week away from returning.

– Jets defenseman Zach Bogosian did not skate with the Jets this morning and will not play. He is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. Adam Pardy will replace Bogosian in the Jets line-up.

– On Monday, Islanders Forward Frans Nielsen was named the NHL’s 3rd Star of the Week (four goals in three games).

– According to Arthur Staple of Newsday, Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic (upper body) did not practise with the team yesterday and will not play tonight. He has missed the last two games.

– Islanders defensemen have scored eight goals so far this season, 2nd most in the National Hockey League (Calgary Flames defensemen have scored 9 goals).

– Islanders Top Face-off Guy: Frans Nielsen (52.9%, 35th in NHL)

– Jets Top Face-off Guy: Jim Slater (58.8%, 8th in NHL)

– Who’s Under the Microscope for New York: Lubomir Visnovsky. The 38-year-old defenseman missed the first six games of the season but he has been back for two games now and registered a goal in the team’s last game, a 7-5 win over the Dallas Stars.

– Who’s Under the Microscope for Winnipeg: Tobias Enstrom. The Jets leading scorer has been great offensively so far this season (6 assists) but he and Paul Postma will be expected to shut down one of the hottest forward duos in the NHL tonight with Zach Bogosian out of the line-up with an upper body injury. John Tavares (11 points) and Kyle Okposo (10 points) have combined for 21 points so far this season which means Enstrom and Postma will have to be sharp.

Special Teams Breakdown:

– New York Islanders PP (23.3%, 10th in NHL), New York Islanders PK (70.4%, 29th in NHL)

– Winnipeg PP (3.6%, 28th in NHL), Winnipeg PK (88.2%, 5th in NHL)

Projected Winnipeg Jets Line Combinations:

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

Tobias Enstrom- Paul Postma
Mark Stuart- Jacob Trouba
Grant Clitsome- Adam Pardy

Ondrej Pavelec
Michael Hutchinson

Healthy Scratches: Patrice Cormier

Projected New York Islanders Line Combinations:

Cory Conacher- John Tavares- Kyle Okposo
Nikolai Kulemin- Frans Nielsen- Mikhail Grabovski
Anders Lee- Brock Nelson- Ryan Strome
Matt Martin- Casey Cizikas- Cal Clutterbuck

Nick Leddy- Johnny Boychuk
Thomas Hickey- Lubomir Visnovsky
Calvin de Haan- Brian Strait

Jaroslav Halak
Chad Johnson

Healthy Scratches: Eric Boulton, Matt Donovan

Injury Report:

New York Islanders: Josh Bailey (hand), Travis Hamonic (upper body), Michael Grabner (hernia), Matt Carkner (upper body)

Winnipeg Jets:  Anthony Peluso (upper body), Evander Kane (knee, indefinitely), Zach Bogosian (upper body)