Music: {allcanada} AVALANCHE (9-11-6) at JETS (13-9-4)

Friday, December 5, 2014

{allcanada} AVALANCHE (9-11-6) at JETS (13-9-4)

Elvis' Christmas Album - Elvis Presley

Friday, December 5, 2014

8:00 PM ET

AVALANCHE (9-11-6) at JETS (13-9-4)

TV: ALT, TSN3

Season series: The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in overtime at MTS Centre on Oct. 26 in the first of their five games in 2014-15. Bryan Little scored the game-winner with 24.2 seconds left in overtime and Ondrej Pavelec stopped 22 shots to earn the win.

Avalanche team scope: Colorado is ending a quick two-game road trip. The Avalanche lost 4-3 in overtime to the Calgary Flames on Thursday. They have lost three of four (1-2-1). Goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 21 saves in his return after missing six games with a groin injury. Backup goaltender Reto Berra has not played since Nov. 25; rookie Calvin Pickard got the majority of work with Varlamov out. Colorado has nine injured players, six on injured reserve. Defenseman Karl Stollery played his second NHL game this season Thursday after the Avalanche recalled him from the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. Stollery filled in on the back end for Nick Holden, who dressed as a fourth-line forward. Left wing Alex Tanguay scored, extending his point streak to four games (two goals, four assists). Colorado has scored three power-play goals in 41 chances since Nov. 1. The Avalanche are 0-2-1 in the second of back-to-back games. They being a three-game homestand next Tuesday against the Nashville Predators.

Jets team scope: Winnipeg continues its three-game homestand after a 3-2 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. Goaltender Michael Hutchinson will get the start. The Jets, who have won three of four, will be without three key defensemen for the foreseeable future. Zach Bogosian (lower body) will be out 4-6 weeks; he was placed on injured reserve Thursday. Toby Enstrom (lower body), Bogosian's defense partner for much of this season, has missed the past four games and will be out until the end of December. Grant Clitsome (undisclosed) did not play Wednesday and will be out for a minimum of two weeks. The Jets recalled defenseman Julien Brouillette from the St. John's IceCaps of the AHL on Thursday. Brouillette will join defenseman Ben Chiarot, another recall from St. John's this week. Right wing Dustin Byfuglien, who has spent time as a defenseman during in his career, practiced on the blue line at practice Thursday and is expected to dress as a defenseman against Colorado. Right wing Matt Halischuk will likely replace Byfuglien as a forward. A visit from the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday concludes the homestand.