Game Day Set-Up: Jets @ Predators

When: Thursday, February 12, 2015

Time: 7:00 p.m. CST

Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee

Records: Winnipeg Jets (28-18-10, 66 points, 5th in West), Nashville Predators (36-12-6, 78 points, 1st in West)

Television/Radio: TSN3/ TSN 1290 Radio

On the Horizon: Saturday, February 14th on the road against the Detroit Red Wings (6:00 p.m. CST)

Last Game: 2-1 win (OT) over the Minnesota Wild

Top Scorers:

Winnipeg Jets: Andrew Ladd (18 goals, 27 assists, 45 points), Bryan Little (21 goals, 23 assists, 44 points), Blake Wheeler (15 goals, 26 assists, 41 points), Dustin Byfuglien (14 goals, 23 assists, 37 points), Mathieu Perreault (18 goals, 18 assists, 36 points)

Nashville Predators: Filip Forsberg (18 goals, 30 assists, 48 points), Mike Ribeiro (11 goals, 34 assists, 45 points), Roman Josi (10 goals, 28 assists, 38 points), Shea Weber (12 goals, 24 assists, 36 points), Colin Wilson (17 goal, 19 assists, 36 points)

Game Day Notes:

– Tonight is the first game of a short two game road trip for Winnipeg. The Jets have won two games in a row and are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games.

– Jets Road Record: 14-8-6

– The Jets have a record of 11-5-3 against teams in the Central Division this year.

– The Jets are 20-9-5 this season when they score the first goal of a game.

– Nashville has won three games in a row and are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games.

– Nashville Home Record: 22-3-1

– Nashville has a record of 24-4-6 in one goal games.

– The Jets completed a massive 7-player blockbuster deal on Wednesday that sent forward Evander Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian and goalie prospect Jason Kasdorf to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Tyler Myers, winger Drew Stafford, forward prospect Brendan Lemieux, forward prospect Joel Armia and a 2015 1st round draft pick. Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford will be in the line-up for the Jets tonight. Myers will wear #57 and Stafford will wear #12. Based on the game day skate, Myers will pair up with Tobias Enstrom while Drew Stafford will play on a line with Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault.

– This is the fourth of five meetings between the Jets and Predators this year. The Predators have won two of the three meetings between the two clubs this year. The final regular season meeting between the two teams will take place in Nashville on Saturday, March 7th.

– Ondrej Pavelec is expected to start in goal for the Jets tonight. In 34 games this season, Pavelec has a record of 13-11-7 with a .911 save percentage and 2.54 Goals Against Average.

–Pekka Rinne will start in net for the Predators tonight. In 40 games this season, Rinne has a record of 31-7-2 with a .929 save percentage and 2.01 Goals Against Average.

– Forward Colin Wilson (upper body) practised with the team on Thursday and is expected to return to the line-up tonight. Wilson will skate alongside Mike Fisher and James Neal. Viktor Stalberg is expected to come out of the line-up. Wilson missed the last two games.

– Red Hot: Mathieu Perreault has five points (one goal, four assists) over the last three games. Dustin Byfuglien has four points (two goals, two assists) over the last two games.

– Milestone Watch: Bryan Little needs eight more assists to reach 200 career assists.

– Ice Cold: Michael Frolik has no points in the last six games.

– Predators defenseman Seth Jones is on a five game points streak (three goals, two assists)

– The Predators average 2.94 goals for/game, 6th in the NHL. The Jets average 2.68 goals for/game, 18th in the NHL.

– The Predators average 2.32 goals against/game, 3rd in the NHL. The Jets average 2.54 goals against/game, 11th in the NHL.

– Defenseman Shea Weber leads all Predators in ice time, averaging 26:33 of ice time per game.

– Defenseman Tobias Enstrom leads all Jets in ice time, averaging 24:05 of ice time per game

– Predators Top Face-off Guy: Paul Gaustad (57.4%)

– Jets Top Face-off Guy: Jim Slater (56.3%)

Special Teams Breakdown:

– Nashville PP (17.4%, 19th in NHL), Nashville PK (81.8%, 15th in NHL)

– Winnipeg PP (17.3%, 21st in NHL), Winnipeg PK (82.3%, 13th in NHL)

Projected Winnipeg Jets Line Combinations:

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

Tobias Enstrom- Tyler Myers
Mark Stuart- Jacob Trouba
Ben Chiarot- Dustin Byfuglien

Ondrej Pavelec
Michael Hutchinson

Healthy Scratches: Paul Postma, Adam Pardy

Projected Nashville Predators Line Combinations:

Filip Forsberg- Mike Ribeiro- Craig Smith
Colin Wilson- Mike Fisher- James Neal
Matt Cullen- Calle Jarnkrok-  Gabriel Bourque
Eric Nystrom- Paul Gaustad- Taylor Beck

Roman Josi- Shea Weber
Anton Volchenkov- Seth Jones
Anthony Bitetto- Victor Bartley

Pekka Rinne
Carter Hutton

Healthy Scratches: Viktor Stalberg, Olli Jokinen

Injury Report:

Nashville Predators: Mattias Ekholm (upper body, day-to-day), Ryan Ellis (lower body), Colin Wilson (upper body)

Winnipeg Jets: Grant Clitsome (back surgery, indefinitely), Matt Halischuk (lower body, Injured Reserve), Jay Harrison (upper body)