Nineteen seconds after Bobby Holik scored into an empty net, the Atlanta Thrashers skated off the ice at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh with a 4-2 road victory over the Penguins that improved their overall record to 23-10-6.

The date was Dec. 27, 2006, and it was the last time the Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise earned a victory in Pittsburgh. What followed is a losing streak that has now reached the 17-game mark as the Jets prepare to face the Penguins on Friday in the Steel City.

Since earning that victory over the Penguins, the franchise relocated from Atlanta to Winnipeg – just one of many things that have changed over the past 13 years.

First of all, the Penguins moved out of Mellon Arena in 2010 and into Consol Energy Center, which has since been renamed to its current incarnation as PPG Paints Arena.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was 19-years-old and playing in his second season in the NHL on that night, while Jets superstar Patrik Laine was just eight, with the dream of being a professional hockey player well in his future.

Perhaps after Marian Hossa netted his three assists, he went back into the locker room to listen to Irreplaceable by Beyoncé, the song that was at the top of the Billboard charts to end 2006.

After the game, the Thrashers, led by Vyacheslav Kozlov, whose 15th goal of the season was the game winner, might have celebrated their victory watching Night at the Museum, which was the reigning number one movie in the United States.

Stephen Harper was just finishing his first year as the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada, after defeating Paul Martin and the Liberals to earn a minority government in January of 2006.

The point is, it has been a long time. But perhaps this is the year to break the streak.

The Jets are hot on the road, with an 8-1-0 record in their last nine outings, including a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on New Year’s Eve.

Blake Wheeler has set the pace away from Bell MTS Place, with three goals and 19 assists in 18 road games.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice says his team is going to have to be sharp to be in the game.

“They have a lethal player on three of their lines that is a game breaker, so when you play a team like this it’s not going to be a one-line game,” said Maurice.  “You’re going to need everybody right, if any of your lines are off, that’s going to leave (Phil) Kessel, (Evgeni) Malkin or Crosby loose.”

Meanwhile the Penguins enter the game on a seven-game winning streak after toppling the New York Rangers 7-2 on January 2.

Crosby is riding a five-game multi-point streak that has seen him post three goals and nine assists over that span. He believes the Jets attack is one of the challenges his team will have to overcome heading into the matchup.

“Their offence, their ability to score, you look at the defencemen that they have that are capable of putting the puck in the net,” said Crosby.  “I think special teams will be important, their power play is really dangerous."