Game Day Set-Up: Senators @ Jets

When: Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Time: 6:30 p.m. CST

Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Records: Winnipeg Jets (32-20-12, 76 points, 5th in West), Ottawa Senators (27-23-10, 64 points, 11th in East)

Television/Radio: TVA, SN/ TSN 1290 Radio

On the Horizon: Saturday, March 7th on the road against the Nashville Predators (6:00 p.m. CST)

Last Game: 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings

Top Scorers:

Winnipeg Jets: Andrew Ladd (22 goals, 30 assists, 52 points), Bryan Little (24 goals, 27 assists, 51 points), Blake Wheeler (17 goals, 29 assists, 46 points), Dustin Byfuglien (15 goals, 27 assists, 42 points), Mark Scheifele (10 goals, 26 assists, 36 points)

Ottawa Senators: Erik Karlsson (15 goals, 33 assists, 48 points), Bobby Ryan (16 goals, 31 assists, 47 points), Kyle Turris (15 goals, 28 assists, 43 points), Mike Hoffman (23 goals, 17 assists, 40 points), Mark Stone (15 goals, 24 assists, 39 points)

Game Day Notes:

– Tonight is the final game of a four game home stand for Winnipeg. The Jets have earned five of a possible six points so far on this home stand and are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games.

– Jets Season Home Record: 17-10-5

– Tonight marks the 2nd Annual Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Night at MTS Centre.  From the Winnipeg Jets release: “The Jets will support the Canadian Armed Forces by wearing limited edition military themed jerseys for warm-up. All warm-up jerseys will then be auctioned online with proceeds going to Canadian Armed Forces charities. Prior to the game, an official puck drop will take place with the Canadian Armed Forces Chief of the Defence Staff General Tom Lawson. The national anthem will be performed by Canadian Armed Forces anthem singer Sergeant David Grenon, with the Royal Canadian Air Force Band, and alongside the Flag Party from Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Chippawa”.

– Enhanced Stat #1: Andrew Ladd has the highest Points Per 60 minutes on the Winnipeg Jets at 2.43. Points per 60 minutes measures the average number of points a player scores for every 60 minutes of time on ice. Bryan Little is second on the Jets at 2.39.

– Enhanced Stat #2: The Jets Team USAT Ahead (Team Fenwick Ahead) is Minus-14 which ranks 14th in the NHL.

– Ottawa’s Season Road Record: 13-13-6

– Ottawa lost 3-2 to the Minnesota Wild in a shootout last night and are 5-0-1 in their last six games

– As per Ottawa Senators Communications, on Tuesday night the line of Mike Hoffman-Mika Zibanejad– Bobby Ryan were all +2 and combined for four points; Erik Karlsson directed 13 pucks toward goal in 35:12 of time on ice.

– Tonight will be the 241st consecutive game Kyle Turris has played for Ottawa.

– This is the second and final meeting of the season between the Jets and Senators. The Jets defeated the Senators 2-1 back on November 8th in Ottawa.

– Michael Hutchinson is expected to start in goal for the Jets tonight. In 32 games this season, Hutchinson has a record of 19-7-5 with a .919 save percentage, two shutouts and 2.29 Goals Against Average. This will be Hutchinson’s 5th start in a row. In his last four starts, Hutchinson is 2-0-2 with a 2.00 GAA and .919 Save %.

– As per Dean Brown of TSN 1200 Radio in Ottawa, Andrew Hammond is expected to start in net for the Senators tonight. In 7 games this season, the rookie goaltender has a record of 5-0-1 with a .955 save percentage, two shutouts and 1.40 Goals Against Average.

– Newly acquired forward Lee Stempniak will make his debut for the Jets tonight and will wear #20. Stempniak will skate on a line with Adam Lowry and Blake Wheeler.

– Red Hot for Winnipeg: Andrew Ladd has seven points (four goals, three assists) in the last seven games.

– Also Red Hot for Winnipeg: Mark Scheifele is on a four game points streak (two goals, three assists)

– Ice Cold: Jim Slater has no points in the last 9 games.

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

– The Senators average 2.80 goals for/game, 14th in the NHL. The Jets average 2.70 goals for/game, 17th in the NHL.

– The Senators average 2.63 goals against/game, 17th in the NHL. The Jets average 2.61 goals against/game, 15th in the NHL.

– Defenseman Erik Karlsson leads all Senators in ice time, averaging 26:57 of ice time per game.

– Senators Top Face-off Guy: Jean-Gabriel Pageau (50.1%)

– Jets Top Face-off Guy: Jim Slater (57.7%)

Special Teams Breakdown:

– Senators PP (17.0%, 23rd in NHL), Senators PK (82.9%, 10th in NHL)

– Winnipeg PP (18.4%, 14th in NHL), Winnipeg PK (81.1%, 17th in NHL)

Projected Winnipeg Jets Line Combinations:

Andrew Ladd- Bryan Little- Michael Frolik
Jiri Tlusty- Mark Scheifele- Drew Stafford
Lee Stempniak- Adam Lowry- Blake Wheeler
Chris Thorburn- Jim Slater- Anthony Peluso

Tobias Enstrom- Tyler Myers
Mark Stuart- Jacob Trouba
Jay Harrison- Dustin Byfuglien

Michael Hutchinson
Ondrej Pavelec

Healthy Scratches: Paul Postma, Adam Pardy, TJ Galiardi

Projected Ottawa Senators Line Combinations:

Mike Hoffman- Mika Zibanejad- Bobby Ryan
Milan Michalek- Kyle Turris- Mark Stone
Erik Condra- Jean-Gabriel Pageau –  Curtis Lazar
Colin Greening- David Legwand- Alex Chiasson

Marc Methot- Erik Karlsson
Patrick Wiercioch- Cody Ceci
Marc Borowiecki- Eric Gryba

Andrew Hammond
Craig Anderson

Healthy Scratches: Matt Puempel

Injury Report:

Ottawa Senators: Jared Cowen (illness), Robin Lehner (concussion), Clarke MacArthur (concussion), Chris Neil (thumb), Chris Phillips (general soreness), Zack Smith (wrist)

Winnipeg Jets: Grant Clitsome (back surgery, indefinitely), Matt Halischuk (lower body, Injured Reserve), Mathieu Perreault (IR, lower body), Ben Chiarot (surgery, IR)