The (3-5-1) Winnipeg Jets are in Florida for a 6pm ct/7pm et face off tonight against the (4-4-2) Tampa Bay Lightning.
TSN 1290's coverage begins with Hustler and Lawless at 3pm ct. Rick Ralph hosts the official Jets pregame show at 5pm ct. Dennis Beyak, Shane Hnidy and I broadcast the first of six regular season games between these Southeast Division rivals.
The seven-game road trip opened in a way nobody expected Thursday with the 9-8 victory in Philadelphia which was the first Jets road victory of the season. Aside from almost hitting double digits in the offensive zone, a positive was special teams as Winnipeg went 2 for 5 on the power play and shut down 4 of 5 Flyer chances.
Ondrej Pavelec starts in goal for the Jets. Chris Mason suffered a minor lower body injury Thursday that will not allow him to dress tonight. Peter Mannino has been called up from the St. John's Ice Caps.
Forward Brett MacLean took part in the pre-game skate this morning and then found out he was claimed by Phoenix on waivers. Waivers is how he arrived in Winnipeg from the Coyotes, so he is leaving Tampa today.
The Jets expected roster should look like this:
Ladd-Little-Wellwood
Kane-Antropov-Burmistrov
McArdle-Stapleton-Wheeler
Glass-Slater-Thorburn
Byfuglien-Enstrom
Bogosian-Stuart
Jones-Oduya
Dwayne Roloson will start in goal for Tampa Bay.
The Lightning have won three of their last four games and are led by forward Steven Stamkos who has six goals in his first 10 games.
The Lightning expected lines tonight are:
St. Louis-Lacavalier-Connolly
Malone-Stamkos-Purcell
Shannon-Moore-Downie
Pyatt-Thompson-Hall
Hedman-Brewer
Clark-Kubina
Bergeron-Gervais