The (19-16-5) Winnipeg Jets try again for their first win in 2012 as they continue a four-game road trip in Buffalo against the (18-18-4) Sabres.
TSN 1290's coverage begins with Hustler & Lawless at 3pm ct. Rick Ralph hosts the official Jets pregame show at 5pm ct. Dennis Beyak, Shane Hnidy and I will have the play-by-play at 6pm ct.
The Jets have been outscored 11-3 in Montreal and Toronto this week.
Bryan Little returns to the line-up after missing the last eight games due to a lower body injury.
Jets Lines:
Kane-Little-Wheeler
Ladd-Antropov-Fehr
Glass-Slater-Thorburn
Wellwood-Cormier-Miettinen
Enstrom-Bogosian
Oduya-Hainsey
Stuart-Jones
Alexander Burmistrov (injured), Tim Stapleton (flu) and Mark Flood (healthy) are on the trip but will not play tonight.
Losing 4-0 in Montreal ended the Winnipeg points streak going into tonight. Blake Wheeler remains the most productive Jet in the offensive zone with five goals and 10 assists in his last 13 games.
Ondrej Pavelec starts in goal, looking to rebound after allowing six goals on 24 shots against the Canadiens.
The Sabres did not skate this morning at First Niagara Center after losing 4-2 in Carolina last night.
Buffalo has just one win in their last five games.
Jason Pominville, who plays his 500th NHL game tonight, has scored in back-to-back games and has three points (two goals and an assist) in his last three games.
Interesting tid bit courtesy of the NHL's game notes. Since Lindy Ruff was named Buffalo's head coach on July 21, 1997, there have been 169 coaching changes in the NHL. Ruff is the second-longest tenured coach in the four major professional sports leagues. Only Gregg Popovich, who began coaching the NBA's San Antonio Spurs in 1996, has been head coach of his team longer.
Buffalo won the first of four regular season meetings against the Jets here November 8, scoring four power play goals in a 6-5 overtime win.
