BLUE JACKETS (24-5-4) at JETS (17-17-3)
8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FS-O, NHL.TV
Blue Jackets team scope
The Columbus Blue Jackets will look to extend their record winning streak to 14 games on Thursday. A win would tie the fourth-longest winning streak in NHL history; the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and 2009-10 Washington Capitals each won 14 consecutive games. The 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins hold the record with 17 straight victories. "We don't think about it," coach John Tortorella told the Blue Jackets website on Tuesday. "I'm not sure if the players do, but I don't. As far as us preparing them, we're just trying to go about our business and get ready for each game." Columbus has outscored opponents 50-21 during the win streak and hasn't lost since a 2-1 shootout defeat to the Florida Panthers on Nov. 26. The Blue Jackets are 14-0-1 since losing 2-0 against the Calgary Flames on Nov. 23. "It's fun winning, obviously," forward Scott Hartnell said. "The mental aspect around our dressing room, we're not on cloud nine right now. We're not celebrating that we're on the way to the playoffs. It's just another win. We need these points, put them in the bank if you want to say that, toward the end of the year. It's been fun. It's been awesome. Everyone is contributing. There's a lot of smiles on the faces. Guys are scoring and the whole bench is jumping up and down." Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is 11-0-0 in his past 11 starts and has allowed 17 goals during that stretch. The Blue Jackets power play is ranked first in the NHL at 27.1 percent. Columbus has nine power play goals in its past eight games.
Jets team scope
Ending the Blue Jackets winning streak isn't providing any extra motivation for the Winnipeg Jets, who will attempt to win a third straight game for the first time this season. Winnipeg has won two consecutive games seven times this season and is 4-1-0 in its past five games following a four-game losing streak (0-3-1). "They're not our focus," forward Blake Wheeler said. "Our focus is on our game, trying to do the things we do well. We feel that gives us an opportunity on any given night. We're playing against the hottest team in the NHL tonight … with that being said, the game requires some respect tonight. You got to respect these guys, the streak they are on [and] the way they're playing. But our focus is on how we can stick to our game plan for 60 minutes." Goaltender Michael Hutchinson will start after Connor Hellebuyck made 34 saves in a 3-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. "I've liked his game going back the past two and a half weeks," coach Paul Maurice said of Hutchinson. "We wanted to get Connor in against Chicago, I felt he deserved to get back in. But Michael's game is on. … He deserved to go back in." Hutchinson is 2-0-0 with a 9.68 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average in his career against the Blue Jackets.
Blue Jackets projected lineup
Brandon Saad -- Alexander Wennberg -- Nick Foligno
Boone Jenner -- Brandon Dubinsky -- Cam Atkinson
Matt Calvert -- William Karlsson -- Josh Anderson
Scott Hartnell -- Lukas Sedlak - Sam Gagner
Markus Nutivaara -- Ryan Murray
Sergei Bobrovsky
Scratched: Scott Harrington, Dalton Prout, Markus Hannikainen
Injured: David Clarkson (lower body)
Jets projected lineup
Nikolaj Ehlers -- Mark Scheifele -- Patrik Laine
Mathieu Perreault -- Bryan Little -- Blake Wheeler
Shawn Matthias -- Adam Lowry -- Joel Armia
Marko Dano -- Nic Petan -- Drew Stafford
Josh Morrissey -- Dustin Byfuglien
Michael Hutchinson
Connor Hellebuyck
Scratched: Mark Stuart, Alexander Burmistrov, Chris Thorburn
Injured: Tyler Myers (lower body)
Status report
Hannikainen was recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League on Thursday. He has no points in five games with the Blue Jackets this season. … Winnipeg sent forwards Brandon Tanev and Andrew Copp to Manitoba of the AHL on Wednesday.
Who's hot
Atkinson has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in his past 10 games, with points in nine of them. … Saad has four points (two goals, two assists) in a three-game point streak. … Hartnell has five points (four goals, one assist) in his past three games. … Foligno has four points (one goal, three assists) in a three-game point streak. … Gagner has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in his past 10 games. … Wennberg has eight assists in his past seven games. … Ehlers has six points (four goals, two assists) in his past four games. … Wheeler has five points (three goals, two assists) in a five-game point streak.
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