JETS (25-27-3) at HURRICANES (25-21-10)
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN3, FS-CR, NHL.TV
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Defenseman Adam Pardy will draw in to the Winnipeg Jets lineup for the first time in 11 games when they face the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Tuesday.
Pardy replaces Mark Stuart, who suffered a broken hand blocking a shot in first period of a 2-1 shootout win against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
"Just keep the game simple," Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said about Pardy. "As much as it is about him, it's about how the whole group functions. But that's his game anyway. Move the puck, be physical."
Pardy, an eight-year veteran, has been scratched 28 out of the past 29 games. He offered a candid response when asked if he has felt left out.
"That's a tough question," he said. "It's a tight group in here. (When you're not in the lineup) you're not in the room. You don't have the same feelings everybody has. Game days you don't see the guys. Feeling left out? I don't think so. But definitely missing that side of the game for sure."
When the teams met Feb. 5 in Winnipeg, the Hurricanes raced to a 4-0 lead midway through the first period. The Jets closed the gap to 4-3 late in the third before losing 5-3. With the game still fresh in their minds, the poor start will serve as a reminder.
"Absolutely," Maurice said. "We learned a valuable lesson there, just in terms of quickness and style of game. We weren't ready to play that game. We played better in the second and solid in the third, and that's the way our team has looked more recently."
The Hurricanes will be without defenseman Justin Faulk for a third straight game after he suffered a lower-body injury last week in practice.
Goaltender Cam Ward, who left the 6-3 win against the New York Islanders on Saturday with a lower-body injury, will also sit out. Eddie Lack will get start in goal. Daniel Altshuller, recalled from Charlotte of the American Hockey League on Tuesday, will serve as the backup.
"If this is Game 82 and we need to win, (Ward) is available, but it's not," coach Bill Peters said. "With the history of injuries he's had, we want to be smart about this."
Carolina has gone 17-8-6 since Dec. 5, putting the Hurricanes squarely in the contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Hurricanes trail the Tampa Bay Lightning by four points for the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference.
Defenseman John-Michael Liles is not a big believer of focusing on the standings.
"It's more; we've got a game tonight and we need two points," he said. "I think a lot of guys in the room are similar that way. To focus on what's going on around the League night in and night out is such an energy-sucking thing to do."
Here are the projected lineups:
JETS
Nikolaj Ehlers - Bryan Little - Blake Wheeler
Mathieu Perreault - Mark Scheifele - Drew Stafford
Andrew Ladd - Adam Lowry - Joel Armia
Alexander Burmistrov - Andrew Copp - Chris Thorburn
Dustin Byfuglien - Toby Enstrom
Injured: Mark Stuart (hand), Grant Clitsome (back)
Scratched: Adam Pardy, Anthony Peluso, Paul Postma
HURRICANES
Kris Versteeg - Eric Staal - Phillip Di Giuseppe
Joakim Nordstrom - Jordan Staal - Andrej Nestrasil
Jeff Skinner - Victor Rask - Elias Lindholm
Chris Terry - Jay McClement - Riley Nash
John-Michael Liles - Brett Pesce
Eddie Lack
Daniel Altshuller
Scratches: Nathan Gerbe, Brad Malone
Injured: Cam Ward (lower body), Justin Faulk, (lower body) James Wisniewski (knee)
Status report: Peters said he hopes to have Faulk back for a full practice Wednesday. He believes Ward will be ready against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.
Who's hot: Little has two goals and four point in the past three games. … Jordan Staal has 18 points in the past 16 games. … Nestrasil has four goals in the past four games.
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