The Panthers will look to make it six wins in a row when they visit the Jets tonight at the MTS Center in frigid Winnipeg. Florida will be getting right back at it after last night’s gritty 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, which propelled the Cats past the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames in the standings.
Winnipeg is coming off a disappointing 4-2 loss to the Sabres in Buffalo on Tuesday night that dropped the Jets (15-16-5) back below the .500 level. After they tussle with the Cats, the Jets will head back out on the road for games against the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers.
Florida will have to dig down deep to find the energy to knock off the Jets and complete the trip North of the Border a perfect 4-0. Winnipeg is well-rested and will be looking to shake off the loss to Buffalo by preying on a tired leap of Panthers. The Jets are a miserable 0-3-3 in their last six outings at home, so they will definitely be looking to rectify that situation tonight.
Tim Thomas is available to come off of IR tonight, but I would think coach Peter Horachek will play the hot hand and give Scott Clemmensen his fifth-straight start. Or maybe, Sneaky Pete will surprise us and toss Jacob Markstrom in there before he gets sent back to San Antonio. Ondrej Pavelec is expected to get the start for the Jets.
Look for answers to five questions about tonight’s opponent I posed to TJ Maughan a little later in the day and be sure to join us on the LBC GameThread tonight 30 minutes before puck drop for our special brand of witty banter. For more on the Jets visit TJ, Derek and the rest of the crew over at Arctic Ice Hockey.