Munz: Jets look to keep hold of first with back-to-back Caps

Brian Munz, TSN.ca

3/21/2013 2:40:45 PM

The Winnipeg Jets host the Washington Capitals in a 7:00 face off (TSN 1290 / TSN Jets) tonight at MTS Centre.

It's the first of back-to-back games between these Southeast Division rivals as they will play again tomorrow here in downtown Winnipeg.

The Jets enter the game first in the Southeast Division with 34 points, two ahead of second-place Carolina and nine points ahead of the fourth-place Capitals.

Ondrej Pavelec will start his eighth consecutive game in goal for the Jets. He is 5-1-1 in his last seven starts with a .929 save percentage in those games.

Andrew Ladd is on a five-game point streak (one goal, five assists).

Zach Bogosian is on a three-game point streak (one goal, two assists).

Blake Wheeler has seven points (six goals, one assist) in his last five games.

Evander Kane enters this game tied with Ray Ferraro for 10th on the all-time scoring list for Atlanta/Winnipeg with 147 points.

Jets Projected Lines:

Ladd-Little-Wheeler

Kane-Jokinen-Miettinen

Wright-Antropov-Wellwood

Tangradi-Burmistrov-Thorburn

Defence:

Hainsey-Bogosian

Byfuglien-Clitsome

Stuart-Meech

This is Washington's second game of a four-game road trip. It opened Tuesday in Pittsburgh with a 2-1 loss to the Penguins.

The Capitals have two wins in their last seven games.

Troy Brouwer is on a two-game point streak (one goal, two assists).

Mike Ribeiro has three assists in his last two games.

Alex Ovechkin has scored in back to back games.

Mike Green is expected to return after missing the last 10 games due to injury.

Washington's power play is third in the NHL at 24 per cent.

Braden Holtby starts in goal.

Capitals Projected Lines:

Johansson-Backstrom-Ovechkin

Laich-Ribeiro-Brouwer

Chimera-Perrault-Ward

Hendricks-Beagle-Fehr

Defence:

Alzner-Green/Olesky

Hillen-Carlson

Schultz-Orlov

The following players will not play tonight due to injury:

Jets - Peluso, Slater, Redmond, Montoya, Enstrom

Capitals - Poti, Erskine, Kundratek

The Capitals have outscored the Jets 5-4 in the first two games of the season series which is tied 1-1. Ribeiro leads Washington with one goal and two assists. Enstrom has been the best Jet statistically in those two games with three assists.