Music: {allcanada} JETS (20-13-7) at COYOTES (15-20-4)

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

{allcanada} JETS (20-13-7) at COYOTES (15-20-4)

Amazon.com / Babes / Ben Affleck / Amazon.ca

Thursday, January 8, 2015

9:00 PM ET

JETS (20-13-7) at COYOTES (15-20-4)

TV: TSN3, FS-A

Season series: The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Arizona Coyotes 6-2 in the season-opener on Oct. 9. The six goals are a season-high for the Jets that they duplicated on Dec. 5. Winnipeg's Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler each had two goals in the win.

Jets team scope: The Jets begin a three-game Pacific Division road trip that will start a run of seven games between Thursday and Jan. 18. Little and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien did not practice Wednesday before the Jets departed for Arizona, but they will play Thursday, according to Jets coach Paul Maurice. Defenseman Zach Bogosian (lower body), who has not played since Dec. 3, has practiced this week and is a possibility to play Thursday. Left wing Evander Kane (lower body) has been out since Dec. 27 but he practiced Wednesday and could play again soon. Injured defensemen Tobias Enstrom and Mark Stuart, who each have been out with lower-body injuries, also participated in practice this week, though their returns aren't imminent. Winnipeg placed defenseman Julien Brouillette on waivers Wednesday. Brouillette made his season debut with the Jets in a 3-2 home loss against the San Jose Sharks on Monday in place of defenseman Grant Clitsome (upper body), who is out for the upcoming road trip. Maurice confirmed that goalie Ondrej Pavelec will start against Arizona. Little has a seven-game points streak (three goals, seven assists).

Coyotes team scope: The Coyotes lost 6-0 to the St. Louis Blues at home on Tuesday. It was the second 6-0 loss for Arizona in the past week. Coyotes coach Dave Tippett opted for an off-ice workout for his players Wednesday instead of practice. Center Martin Hanzal did not play against St. Louis because of an upper-body injury. Hanzal was scheduled to see a doctor Wednesday and his status for Thursday is unclear, according to the Coyotes website. Arizona is 2-4-2 without Hanzal in the lineup this season. Center Antoine Vermette, who has played 432 consecutive games, sustained a cut to his face in the game Tuesday, but is expected to play Thursday. Vermette's streak is the second-longest in the NHL. Before the loss Tuesday, the Coyotes had won four consecutive games at Gila River Arena. Prior to that 4-0-0 run, Arizona had a nine-game losing streak (0-6-3) on home ice and did not win at home between Nov. 4 and Dec. 16.

Team Stats