JETS (15-17-3) at CANUCKS (14-16-3)
10 p.m. ET; SNV, TSN3, NHL.TV
Jets team scope
Winnipeg Jets forwards Joel Armia and Shawn Matthias, who each missed a 4-1 loss against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday with lower-body injury, were activated from injured reserve before a rare second game in the same city. Matthias missed 25 games since last playing on Nov. 1 and Armia was injured two days later and missed 24 games. "We see those two as really important players for us and mentally they go through the break knowing they are ready," coach Paul Maurice said. "There is always anxiety after a long injury about how you are going to perform. It's important to get them in so they can get that off their plate." Matthias played parts of two seasons in Vancouver from 2013-15. "Great group of guys over there but I would definitely love to stick it to them," Matthias said. Goalie Michael Hutchinson will be in net after Connor Hellebuyck started the past four games and seven of the past eight. "Number of games more than anything else," Maurice said of the switch. Winnipeg is 5-11-2 on the road after giving up a first period lead Tuesday, and has been outscored 47-23 in the second period this season. "There are some style changes, some things that change in our game in the second period that we have to work hard at getting out of," Maurice said.
Canucks team scope
Goalie Ryan Miller will start in net in the rematch against the Jets despite a 31-save performance from Jacob Markstrom in a 4-1 win against Winnipeg on Tuesday. Markstrom stopped 12 of 13, including a half-dozen scoring chances, in the first period. "You go a little bit on performance and for me it's more rest," coach Willie Desjardins said. "We said at the start of the year that Miller is our No.1." Miller was pulled after giving up six goals during an 8-6 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 13 to end a five-game road trip but stopped 25 in a 4-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday and made 21 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. "Miller's last game was good," Desjardins said. "I put Marky in (against Winnipeg) because I have confidence in him that he can play well. It's Miller's turn to go again so he's up." The Canucks have given up the first goal in 25 of 33 games this season. "We weren't very good, that's a pretty certain way to give the other team the lead," Jannik Hansen, who scored twice Tuesday and has three goals his past two games, said. Henrik Sedin will become the fourth Swedish player to play 1,200 NHL games.
Jets projected lineup
Nikolaj Ehlers -- Mark Scheifele -- Patrik Laine
Mathieu Perreault -- Bryan Little -- Blake Wheeler
Joel Armia -- Adam Lowry -- Shawn Matthias
Marko Dano -- Nic Petan -- Drew Stafford
Josh Morrissey -- Dustin Byfuglien
Michael Hutchinson
Connor Hellebuyck
Scratched: Mark Stuart, Alexander Burmistrov, Chris Thorburn, Andrew Copp
Injured: Tyler Myers (lower body), Brandon Tanev (undislosed)
Canucks projected lineup
Daniel Sedin -- Henrik Sedin -- Jannik Hansen
Markus Granlund -- Brandon Sutter -- Loui Eriksson
Sven Baertschi -- Bo Horvat -- Alexandre Burrows
Jack Skille -- Michael Chaput -- Jayson Megna
Ben Hutton -- Christopher Tanev
Ryan Miller
Jacob Markstrom
Scratched: Brendan Gaunce, Andrey Pedan
Injured: Erik Gudbranson (wrist surgery), Alexander Edler (fractured finger), Derek Dorsett (neck surgery), Anton Rodin (knee), Philip Larsen (concussion)
Status report
Brandon Tanev, who played his first NHL game against brother Christopher on Tuesday, skated on Thursday but Maurice said he was nicked up at the end of the first game in Vancouver. … Markstrom could get back in goal for a road game against the Calgary Flames on Friday; The Canucks have split each back-to-back set when both goalies have been healthy.
Who's hot
Wheeler has two goals and an assist during a three-game point streak. … Henrik Sedin has three assists in his past two games. ... Baertschi has three goals and six points during a four-game point streak that started after he was a healthy scratch against the Washington Capitals on Dec. 11.
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