WINNIPEG JETS NOTES:
Scene Setter
The Winnipeg Jets end the 2023 calendar year with a home-and-home set against the Minnesota Wild this weekend, which concludes at Xcel Energy Center on Sunday afternoon. The Jets beat the Wild 4-2 on Saturday in the first half of the home-and-home. After Sunday’s game, the Jets are back at Canada Life Centre to tangle with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Among the Best
The Jets are tied with the Dallas Stars for fifth in the NHL with a .676 points percentage… Winnipeg has points in seven consecutive games (5-0- 2) for the first time this season… The Jets are 17-5-2 in their past 24 games, which includes winning streaks of three, four and five games… Since Nov. 4, the Jets have a .750 points percentage, which is tops in the NHL… The Jets have lost consecutive games in regulation just three times this season.
Stingy
The Jets are second in the NHL this season by allowing only 2.50 goals against per game… Since Nov. 4, the Jets are second in the NHL with just 50 goals against in 24 games for an average of 2.08… Winnipeg has not allowed more than three goals against in each of those 24 games, which is a franchise record streak… The Jets are first in the league this season with 30 games of holding their opponent to three goals or less and have a 21-7-2 record in those games… Winnipeg has allowed two goals or less in 11 of their past 12 games.
Most Wonderful Time of Year
The Jets are 9-1-2 in December, which leads the NHL… It’s the sixth consecutive season the Jets have a winning record in December… The Jets have never played at least 10 games in a month and had only one loss in regulation.
Central Rivals
The Jets are 9-3-1 against the Central Division this season after going 18-8-0 against their Central Division counterparts last season… Winnipeg has won 22 of its past 32 games against Central Division teams dating back to last season… Winnipeg has a winning record against the Central in each of the past six seasons in which the Jets have been in the Central Division… Mark Scheifele leads the Jets in scoring against the Central Division with 16 points (3G, 13A) in 13 games this season.
Road Record
The Jets are 9-4-2 on the road this season, including winning seven of their past 10 road contests… Josh Morrissey has a team-leading 14 points (4G, 10A) in 15 road games… Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Nino Niederreiter have a team best seven goals on the road… The Jets went 20-20-1 on the road last season.
Matinee
Sunday marks the sixth of 11 afternoon games the Jets have on their schedule this season… Winnipeg is 4-1-0 in afternoon games this season… The Jets went 4-2-0 in afternoon games last season… The 11 matinees on Winnipeg’s schedule this season is tied for the secondmost in franchise history, one behind the 12 afternoon games the team played in 2019-20… Eight of the 11 matinees are on Saturday afternoons… Mark Scheifele leads current Jets players in career scoring in afternoon games with 60 points (22G, 38A) in 85 games, while Nino Niederreiter has 24 career goals in afternoon contests and 43 points in 85 games.
Back-to-Back
The Jets are playing their third of seven back-to-backs this season this weekend… The Jets are 2-1-0 in the first game and 2-0-0 in the second game this season… The two back-to-backs Winnipeg has played this season is tied for second fewest in the NHL… The Jets were an even 9-4-0 in the first half and second half of back-to-back sets last season.
El Nino
For the second time in his past three games, Nino Niederreiter had two goals in a game on Saturday… His 12 goals this season are tied with Mark Scheifele for second on the Jets… Niederreiter is halfway to the 24 goals he’s scored in each of the past two seasons… He’s on pace for 29 goals this season, which would be a career high.
Tender
After allowing 13 goals in his first three starts of the season, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is 16-4-3 with a 2.08 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in his past 23 starts… He’s allowed two goals or less in 17 of his past 23 starts… Hellebuyck is 7-0-2 in December with a 1.88 goals-against average and .934 save percentage.
Fourth Line Production
The Jets fourth line of Morgan Barron, Dominic Toninato and Axel Jonsson-Fjallby have scored in consecutive games… Toninato made his season debut on Wednesday and has two assists in two games… Jonsson-Fjallby has four points (2G, 2A) in his past four games.
OT
The Jets are 2-4 in overtime and shootouts this season, including 2-3 in games decided in overtime… The Jets went 10-3 in overtime (9-2) and shootouts (1-1) last season, which led the NHL with an .769 winning percentage… Six of Winnipeg’s nine OT winners came in the first two minutes of the extra session… Mark Scheifele holds the franchise record with 13 OT winning goals… During the past four seasons, Winnipeg is 22-12 in games decided in overtime.
Jets vs. MIN Notes
Season Series
This is the second of four games between the Jets and Wild this season… Winnipeg won the first meeting Saturday… Winnipeg also hosts Minnesota on Feb. 20, while the Jets also travel to St. Paul on Apr. 6.
Recent History
The Jets have won consecutive games against the Wild and four of the past seven meetings… The home team has won five of the seven games.
In Minnesota
The Jets defeated the Wild 3-1 on Apr. 11 in their most recent trip to Xcel Energy Center, but dropped the previous four meetings prior to that (0-2-2).
Player Notes
Mark Scheifele leads the Jets in career scoring against Minnesota with 31 points (13G, 18A) in 38 games… Six of his 13 goals have come on the power play… Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is 11-10-2 during his career against Minnesota with a 2.74 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.
MINNESOTA WILD NOTES:
WINNIPEG JETS
All-Time Wild Record: 29-19-5 (17-7-3 at Xcel Energy Center, 12-12-2 at Winnipeg)
2023-24: Winnipeg won the series-opening game, 4-2, at Canada Life Centre (12/30)…C Ryan Hartman (1-0=1) and LW Matt Boldy (1-0=1) both scored for Minnesota…G Filip Gustavsson started the game for the Wild and stopped 19-of-22 shots faced…G Marc-Andre Fleury entered the contest at the start of the third period and saved nine-of-10 shots faced… RW Nino Neiderreiter scored two goals to lead the Jets in scoring (2-0=2)… LW Alex Iafallo (1-0=1) and LW Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (1-0=1) also scored for Winnipeg…G Connor Hellebuyck saved 34-of-36 shots faced for the Jets.
WILD LEADERS: LW Marcus Johansson leads the Wild with 24 points (5- 19=24) in 33 games vs. Winnipeg…RW Mats Zuccarello owns 21 points (11-10=21) in 25 games…RW Marcus Foligno has 20 points (10-10=20) in 31 games…D Alex Goligoski owns 16 points (2-14=16) in 43 contests…D Jared Spurgeon has 16 points (1-15=16) in 40 games…LW Kirill Kaprizov owns 15 points (3-12=15) in nine matches.
WILD GOALIES: Fleury is 23-11-0 with a 2.59 GAA, a .910 SV% and one shutout in 35 career games (33 starts) against the Jets…Gustavsson is 4-1-0 with a 1.71 GAA and a .943 SV% in five starts.
JETS LEADERS: C Mark Scheifele leads Winnipeg with 31 points (13-18=31) in 38 games against Minnesota…LW Kyle Connor owns 19 points (7- 12=19) in 21 games… D Josh Morrisey owns 13 points (2-11=13) in 24 games…LW Nikolaj Ehlers has 12 points (7-5=12) in 26 contests.
JETS GOALIES: Hellebuyck is 11-10-2 with a 2.74 GAA, a .914 SV% and three shutouts in 26 games (22 starts) vs. the Wild…G Laurent Brossoit is 3-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and a .933 SV% in four games (three starts).
FAST FACTS: Minnesota has earned points in 26 of its last 42 games against Winnipeg (23-16-3)…The Wild is 8-2-0 in the last 10 contests at Xcel Energy Center…Minnesota’s sweep of the Jets in 2018-19 (5-0-0) marked the third time in franchise history Minnesota swept a season series of more than four games: 5-0-0 vs. Chicago (2015-16) and 6-0-0 vs. Edmonton (2010-11)…The Wild fell, 4-1, in its first-ever postseason meeting against the Jets in the 2018 First Round.
INJURIES
Jonas Brodin: upper body
Mats Zuccarello: upper body
2023-24 Total Man Games Lost: 73
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
December 21 – 30, 2023 12/28/23 Reassigned D Daemon Hunt to Iowa
ON A ROLL AGAIN
• Minnesota is 11-4-0 since Nov. 28 and leads the NHL in wins and points (22) during that span. • The Wild’s plus-16 goal differential since Nov. 28 is T-1st in the NHL. • Since Nov. 28, the Wild is second in the NHL with a 2.20 GAA and a .926 team save percentage.
STARTING HOT
• In 15 games played since Nov. 28, Minnesota is 10-0-0 when scoring a game’s first goal, the most such wins in the NHL during that span. • Since Nov. 28, Minnesota is T-3rd the NHL with a plus-6 first-period goal differential, T-8th with 16 first-period goals scored and ninth with a plus-15 first-period shot differential. • Since Nov. 28 the Wild has allowed 0.67 first-period goals per game, sixth in the NHL.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Minnesota owns an active seven-game home winning streak, marking the seventh time in franchise history the Wild has recorded a seven-game win streak at Xcel Energy Center. • Since Nov. 28, Minnesota is second in the NHL with seven home victories, third with a .935 home SV% and T-3rd with a plus-10 home goal differential and a 1.86 home GAA.
