Music: {allcanada} JETS (22-14-8) at STARS (19-16-7)

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

{allcanada} JETS (22-14-8) at STARS (19-16-7)

JETS (22-14-8) at STARS (19-16-7)

Thursday, January 15, 2015

8:30 PM ET

TV: TSN3, FS-SW

Season series: The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Dallas Stars 5-2 behind two goals from rookie center Adam Lowry on Dec. 9. The Jets are 4-3-0 against the Stars since the 2011-12 season. Winnipeg holds a seven-point lead on Dallas for the first Stanley Cup Playoff wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Jets team scope: An 8-2 home win against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday earned Winnipeg a day off from a previously scheduled practice Wednesday. The win was the 500th of Jets coach Paul Maurice's NHL career. Left wing Mathieu Perreault had the first four-goal game of his career and his second career hat trick. Perreault has 13 goals and nine assists in his past 19 games. Captain Andrew Ladd has a seven-game point streak (four goals, six assists), tying his career high. Winnipeg is in the middle of a stretch of seven games in 11 days, and the game at Dallas will begin a two-game road trip that continues Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks. After going 1-for-16 on the power play in their three games before Tuesday, the Jets were 2-for-3 on the man-advantage against the Panthers. Goaltender Michael Hutchinson, who had 25 saves against Florida, could get the start against Dallas. Maurice is expected to give Hutchinson and Ondrej Pavelec one start each on the two-game road trip.

Stars team scope: Dallas continues a three-game homestand after defeating the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Tuesday. Goalie Kari Lehtonen was pulled after allowing two goals on five shots. Anders Lindback finished the game and had 34 saves. Right wing Ales Hemsky scored Tuesday and has five goals in his past eight games. Hemsky began the season without a goal in his first 21 games. The win ended a four-game losing streak (0-2-2). Stars coach Lindy Ruff put center Tyler Seguin and left wing Jamie Benn on separate lines at practice Wednesday, according to the Stars website; Seguin centered left wing Antoine Roussel and right wing Ryan Garbutt while Benn skated with center Cody Eakin and right wing Brett Ritchie. Center Vernon Fiddler (lower body) practiced Wednesday and is a possibility to play against Winnipeg. The Stars finish their homestand Saturday against the Washington Capitals.