WINNIPEG JETS NOTES:
Scene Setter
The Winnipeg Jets play the second game of their three-game road trip on Thursday when they visit the Buffalo Sabres. Winnipeg began the road trip with a 7-5 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, which ended the Jets five-game winning streak. The Jets end the trip with their second game in as many nights on Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Winnipeg is back at Canada Life Centre on Sunday to face the Arizona Coyotes.
Last Game
Detroit Red Wings 7
Winnipeg Jets 5
Jets Scorers: Pionk (7), Gagner (8), Schmidt (4), Ehlers (2), Scheifele (24)
Red Wings Scorers: Walman (4), Berggren (7), Sundqvist (6), Kubalik (13), Larkin (14), Fabbri (2), Raymond (11)
Jets Goaltender: Connor Hellebuyck (16 sv, 6 ga)
Rd Wings Goaltender: Ville Husso (32 sv, 5 ga)
Jets PP: 1-for-3
Jets PK: 2-for-3
Recap: The Winnipeg Jets got back to within a goal three times, but lost 7-5 to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. Three players had a goal and an assist, while Cole Perfetti tallied two assists. Nikolaj Ehlers scored in his second consecutive game and led the Jets with five shots. Blake Wheeler and Neal Pionk each had three hits to lead the team. Connor Hellebuyck allowed six goals for just the 10th time in 412 career games.
Top 10
The Jets are ninth in the NHL with a .646 points percentage, which ranks second in the Central Division and fourth in the Western Conference…
Winnipeg’s best points percentage in franchise history was in 2017-18 when the team finished at .695… The franchise has finished a season with
a points percentage better than .600 four times.
Four or More
The Jets reached the four-goal mark once again on Tuesday, but fell to 18-2-0 when scoring four goals or more in a game… Winnipeg’s .900
winning percentage when scoring four goals in a game this season is 11th in the NHL… The Jets have scored at least four goals in four of their
past six games.
Halfway Point
At the 41-game mark of the season, the Jets had one of their best first halves of a season in franchise history… Winnipeg’s 26 wins matches the franchise best 26 wins through 41 games during the 2018-19 season… The Jets .646 points percentage is tied for third through the first half of a season… This is the third time in the past five seasons the Jets have posted 25 wins or more in the first 41 games of a season.
The January Upon Us
After playing 16 games in 30 days in December, the Jets play 15 games in 28 days from Jan. 2-30, but opened the month with two games in the first seven days… Seven of the 15 games are at home… Winnipeg’s eight road games in January come in the form of a three-game road trip and five-game road trip… The Jets are 15-17-3 in January during the past four seasons.
Back-2-Back
The Jets are playing their seventh of 13 back-to-back sets on their schedule this season, having gone 7-5-0 so far… The Jets were 6-4-2 in the first game of a back-to-back last season and 5-5-2 in the second game for an overall record of 11-9-4.
Road Record
The Jets are 10-8-1 on the road this season… Winnipeg is 1-4-0 in their past four road games after starting the season 9-4-1 away from home… Defenceman Josh Morrissey (1G, 19A) leads the Jets in scoring on the road with 20 points… Pierre-Luc Dubois has a team leading eight goals.
On the PK
Winnipeg is sixth in the NHL with a penalty kill successful 82.5% of the time… The Jets are 21-for-24 (87.5%) on the penalty kill in their last eight games… The last time the Jets had a penalty kill better than 82% was in 2013-14 when they finished the season at 83.2%… The franchise record for penalty kill percentage in a season is 85.2%, which occurred in Atlanta during the 2003-04 season.
Jets vs. BUF Notes
Season Series
The Jets and Sabres square off twice this season… The rematch in Winnipeg goes later this month on Jan. 26.
Recent History
Winnipeg is 5-2-1 in their past eight games against Buffalo, but have split the past four games… The Jets are 15-for-17 (88.2%) on the penalty kill in their past six games against the Sabres, but also 1-for-10 on the power play… The past six games between Winnipeg and Buffalo have been decided by two goals or less.
In Buffalo
Winnipeg is 7-4-1 in Buffalo since relocation… Nine of the 13 games have been decided by one goal, including three in overtime or a shootout.
Player Notes
Blake Wheeler leads the Jets in career scoring against the Sabres with 26 points (9G, 17A) in 41 games, including 15 points (5G, 10A) in his past 12 games… Wheeler has a point in 11 of his past 12 games against Buffalo… Pierre-Luc Dubois is averaging more than a point per game against Buffalo with 14 points (5G, 9A) in 11 games… Mark Scheifele has 12 points (5G, 7A) in 13 games when facing the Sabres… All three of Sam Gagner’s career goals against Buffalo are power play goals.
Jets vs. BUF Past 10 Games
Date Opp Res G GA S PPO PPG PIM SA PPOA PPGA PIMA
10/30/2016 Buf L 1 3 38 6 0 6 28 1 0 16
01/07/2017 @Buf L 3 4 35 3 1 26 36 4 0 10
01/05/2018 Buf W 4 3 29 4 2 10 29 5 0 8
01/09/2018 @Buf W 7 4 37 4 2 6 34 3 1 18
11/16/2018 Buf SOL 1 2 26 1 0 6 32 3 1 2
02/10/2019 @Buf W 3 1 29 1 0 10 36 5 0 2
02/23/2020 @Buf L 1 2 26 1 0 6 25 3 0 2
03/03/2020 Buf W 3 1 35 3 1 4 26 2 0 6
12/14/2021 Buf L 2 4 36 3 0 4 27 2 1 6
03/30/2022 @Buf SOW 3 2 27 1 0 6 37 2 0 4
BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:
LAST GAME
Tuesday, Jan. 10
Seattle 4 at Buffalo 3
Goals: Tuch (2), Dahlin
Goalie: Comrie (18 saves/22 shots)
PP: 1/4; PK: 0/1; Shots: Buffalo 35 – Seattle 22
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 99)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
N/A
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST SEVEN DAYS
1/7: Assigned F Jiri Kulich and F Isak Rosen to Rochester (AHL)
1/9: Activated G Eric Comrie off IR; Loaned goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to Rochester (AHL)
1/10: Activated D Henri Jokiharju off IR; Placed D Casey Fitzgerald on waivers
1/11: Recalled G Ukko-Pekka-Luukkonen from Rochester (AHL); Loaned F Jack Quinn to Rochester
UPCOMING GAMES
Saturday, Jan. 14: Buffalo at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 16: Florida at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 17: Buffalo at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 19: NY Islanders at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Anaheim at Buffalo, 12:30 p.m.
TONIGHT’S GAME
JETS AT SABRES
• This is the first of two meetings between the Sabres and Jets this season.
• Last meeting: Winnipeg defeated Buffalo 3-2 in a shootout in Buffalo on March 30, 2022.
• Next meeting: Thursday, Jan. 26 in Winnipeg.
• This is the 68th game all-time between Buffalo and Winnipeg; Buffalo has a 29-26-12 series record.
• The Sabres are 18-11-5 at home against the Jets all-time.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Buffalo has recorded at least one point in three of its last four matchups with Winnipeg.
• Alex Tuch has notched 34 points (13+21) in his last 24 games, including 17 points (7+10) in his last 11 games.
• Tage Thompson has recorded 30 goals in his last 32 games, totaling 54 points (30+24) in that span.
• Dylan Cozens has tallied 31 points (9+21) in his last 26 games and owns eight points (2+6) in his last seven games.
• Cozens is one goal away from surpassing his previous single-season career high in goals scored (13), which he set in 79 games in 2021-22.
• Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 29 points (6+23) in his last 24 games, including eight points (3+5) in his last four games.
• In his last 18 games, Jeff Skinner has recorded 27 points (12+15).
• Casey Mittelstadt owns four points (0+4) in his last four games.
