Caps (10-5-1, 21 points) at Jets (6-9-3, 15 points)
What – Game #17
Where – MTS Centre
When – 8:30 p.m.
TV – CSN HD
Radio – WFED-1500 AM
Washington makes its first trip to Winnipeg since Dec. 10, 1995, but will see plenty of familiar faces at cozy MTS Centre. After all, for the most part this is the same crew formerly known as the Atlanta Thrashers, who spanked the Caps to the tune of a 4-1-1 record in six Southeast Division meetings last season.
Seventeen current Jets spent at least part of last season in Atlanta – though defensemen Tobias Enstrom and Ron Hainsey are out injured tonight. Ondrej Pavelec starts in goal for Winnipeg. The Post’s Katie Carrera and the Times’ Steve Whyno say its Michal Neuvirth for Washington. Old friend Eric Fehr tells reporters he is close to returning from yet another shoulder surgery this summer. Maybe next Wednesday at Verizon Center? That’s still unlikely.
In their history – the original Jets joined the NHL for the 1979-80 season and departed for Phoenix in 1996 – the Caps have played in Winnipeg 24 times and are 7-12-5 overall. That and their record against Washington last season are two of the few positives I can find for the Jets going into this one. They haven’t given the home folks much to cheer about in their NHL return.
Winnipeg had lost five games in a row – two in overtime – before Monday’s 5-2 win over Tampa Bay at home. The Jets actually have been decent against the Southeast Division with a 3-2 record so far. Maybe they just feel more comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings against familiar opponents. Either way, they need to get going. Only Carolina (6-10-3, 15 points) and the New York Islanders (4-8-3, 11 points) are lower in the Eastern Conference standings.
Winnipeg is 19th in goals/game (2.61). It is 25th in goals allowed/game (3.28). The power play is decent (15.9%). The penalty kill isn’t (79.3%). The two teams allow virtually the same number of shots/game: 30.1 for Jets’ opponents and 30.3 for Washington’s. The Caps have killed off the last 13 power plays against and 22 of 23 over the last six games. Star winger Alex Ovechkin has a lot of goals and points in his career. But being in the same division with Winnipeg/Atlanta, he hasn’t abused any franchise as much as this one: 30 goals, 33 assists in 42 games.
Washington looks to rebound from a gut-punch loss at Nashville on Tuesday after the Predators scored twice in the final four minutes to erase a 1-0 deficit and steal a victory. Colin Wilson’s game-winner came with just 24 seconds to play. The Caps, too, need to get going again. After a 7-0 start to the 2011-12 season they are just 3-5-1 over the last nine games.
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