JNGD.S8.G38 Flight Plan: Gettin’ Wild Over the Holidays

By KB

5 years ago

The Winnipeg Jets are wrapping up their two game homestand as they take on the Wild this afternoon. This will be the final home game of 2018 and it’s been quite the year in Winnipeg. The Christmas break wasn’t kind to either team and both of them are looking to rebound after losing their first game back from the Christmas break. These two have met once so far this season and it was Minnesota who came out on top with a 4-2 victory on November 23.

Minnesota Wild (17-16-3)
@
Winnipeg Jets (24-11-2)

December 29, 2018 – Puck drop: 3:00 PM CST
Bell MTS Place – Winnipeg, MB
TV: CBC – Radio: TSN 1290


VS CHI: 5-2 LOSS	Last Game	VS CGY: 4-1 LOSS
0-4-1 (5 L)	Last 5 Games	3-2-0 (1 L)
ZACH PARISE – 16	Goal Leader	PATRIK LAINE – 23
MIKAEL GRANLUND – 25	Assist Leader	BLAKE WHEELER – 43
MIKAEL GRANLUND – 36	Points Leader	MARK SCHEIFELE – 49
22.50% (10TH)	The Power Play	28.20% (3RD)
85.30% (2ND)	The Penalty Kill	82.10% (10TH)
DEVIN DUBNYK (12-13-3 / .911 SV%)	Starting Goalie	CONNOR HELLEBUYCK (16-10-1 / .909 SV%)
L VS CHI (7-10 / .700 SV%)	Last Goalie Start	L VS CGY (25-28) / (.893 SV%)
7-10-0 ON ROAD	Road v Home Record	13-5-2 AT HOME

Wild Player To Watch

#22 Nino Niederreiter – Right Wing

Although Niederreiter has been held pointless in his last five games, he is a good candidate to bounce back against the Jets. Earlier this season, he had a goal and an assist in the victory over Winnipeg. Historically he’s near the 0.5 points per game mark and will have an opportunity to end his point-less drought this afternoon.

**Niederreiter career NHL statistics**
			Scor	Scor	Scor			Shot	Shot	Shot	Ice
Season	Tm	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	S	S%	TSA	ATOI	BLK	HIT	TK	GV
2010-11	NYI	9	1	1	2	-1	8	12	8.3	19	13:36	1	16	5	5
2011-12	NYI	55	1	0	1	-29	12	74	1.4	120	10:07	14	129	21	13
2013-14	MIN	81	14	22	36	12	44	143	9.8	227	14:06	23	175	37	24
2014-15	MIN	80	24	13	37	2	28	149	16.1	273	14:33	32	155	28	16
2015-16	MIN	82	20	23	43	9	36	159	12.6	269	15:33	19	129	35	23
2016-17	MIN	82	25	32	57	17	53	186	13.4	295	15:04	20	120	32	27
2017-18	MIN	63	18	14	32	14	36	133	13.5	219	15:00	20	58	26	21
2018-19	MIN	36	7	11	18	-9	8	66	10.6	109	14:51	13	32	18	15
6 yrs	MIN	424	108	115	223	45	205	836	12.9	1392	14:51	127	669	176	126
2 yrs	NYI	64	2	1	3	-30	20	86	2.3	139	10:36	15	145	26	18
Career	8 yrs	488	110	116	226	15	225	922	11.9	1531	14:17	142	814	202	144

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table

Last Wild Game

The game started close as the Blackhawks and Wild traded goals in the first period. After that, it was all Chicago as Patrick Kane had a hat-trick to lead the Hawks to victory. Dubnyk struggled in this one and got pulled after giving up three goals on ten shots. Stalock didn’t fare much better as he also let in two goals and the Wild fell 5-2.

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Wild Notes

The biggest news for the Wild is the recent injury to Matt Dumba. He’s reportedly out for the next three months after surgery on his pectoralis muscle.
From Gone Puck Wild: Is Granlund the only option for NHL All-Star Game?
The Wild head home after their game against the Jets. They play the Penguins on Monday before heading on a four game eastern road trip against Leafs, Sens, Habs, and Bruins

Jets Player To Watch

#81Kyle Connor – Left Wing

It’s been a tough few weeks for Kyle Connor who has now gone seven straight games without a point. In the entire month of December he only has three goals and one assist in thirteen games. This is a great opportunity to bounce back as the Wild have lost five straight games and have also recently lost defensmen Matt Dumba to injury. With a depleted defense and the team not playing well, Connor could have a great game against the Wild.

**Kyle Connor career NHL statistics**
			Scor	Scor	Scor			Shot	Shot	Shot	Ice
Season	Tm	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	S	S%	TSA	ATOI	BLK	HIT	TK	GV
2016-17	WPG	20	2	3	5	-7	4	24	8.3	41	12:13	8	1	11	5
2017-18	WPG	76	31	26	57	8	16	192	16.1	288	16:54	26	18	39	34
2018-19	WPG	37	13	15	28	-3	6	110	11.8	172	18:50	7	4	32	17
Career	3 yrs	133	46	44	90	-2	26	326	14.1	501	16:44	41	23	82	56

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table

Last Jets Game

The first game back after Christmas is always tough, and both the Jets and Flames had trouble finding the back of the net. Although the score was 4-1, it was a 2-1 game until the dying minutes when the Flames scored shorthanded to make it 3-1. Johnny Hockey scored the empty net goal for his fourth career hat-trick and his first in over three years. Weirdly enough, all four of Gaudreau’s hat-tricks have come in the month of December with two of them on the same day, December 22 2014, and December 22, 2015.

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Jets Notes

Dustin Byfuglien has been fined for his slash on Johnny Gaudreau who was racing towards the empty net. It was a needless play from Buff who acted out of frustration at the game more than anything else.
The concussion protocol is under scrutiny once again as Hellebuyck took a knee to the side of the head. He had his head down on the ice for quite a while and it prompted many people to wonder if he should have been taken out of the game for concussion testing. He stayed in the game after getting looked at by the trainer but did not get formally tested right after the incident.
The Jets are set to finally leave Winnipeg after enjoying nearly a week at home for the holidays. They are off to Edmonton for a New Year’s Eve showdown before heading to the opposite side of North America to take on the Penguins. It’s a very odd two game road trip and they will likely be able to come back to Winnipeg in between as they play on December 31 and then on January 4.
Both Adam Lowry and Andrew Copp returned to action last game against the Flames. It’s a good sight to see as Copp has been sidelined for several weeks with concussion symptoms. Adam Lowry had a great game in his return and notched the only goal for Winnipeg.

Player ratings courtesy Corsica.Hockey

Be sure to check out our Twitter feed for any late mid-day updates to the game lineups!
You can also get up to the minute lineup combos for the Jets
including power play and penalty kill lines by checking out our line combo page.

Minnesota Wild Lines

LW	C	RW	Forwards
JASON ZUCKER Rating: 77.7#17 LW	ERIC STAAL Rating: 80.4#15 C	MIKAEL GRANLUND Rating: 78.4#29 RW	FL1 Rating Rating: 78.83#14 FL1
ZACH PARISE Rating: 75.5#28 LW	CHARLIE COYLE Rating: 71.2#135 C	LUKE KUNIN Rating: 70.6#92 RW	FL2 Rating Rating: 72.42#24 FL2
JORDAN GREENWAY Rating: 71.6#78 LW	MIKKO KOIVU Rating: 74.1#56 C	NINO NIEDERREITER Rating: 75.0#41 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 73.55#7 FL3
MARCUS FOLIGNO Rating: 69.0#123 LW	ERIC FEHR Rating: 69.1#109 C	J.T. BROWN Rating: 69.1#110 RW	FL4 Rating Rating: 69.07#30 FL4

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS		Defense
RYAN SUTER Rating: 79.6#6 LD	JARED SPURGEON Rating: 77.9#15 RD	DL1 Rating Rating: 78.73#3 DL1
JONAS BRODIN Rating: 73.9#38 LD	GREG PATERYN Rating: 71.4#66 RD	DL2 Rating Rating: 72.68#19 DL2
NICK SEELER Rating: 70.5#104 LD	NATE PROSSER Rating: 69.2#95 RD	DL3 Rating Rating: 69.87#29 DL3

GOALIES
DEVAN DUBNYK Rating: 71.9#32 G1	ALEX STALOCK Rating: 68.2#55 G2

Winnipeg Jets Lines

LW	C	RW	Forwards
NIKOLAJ EHLERS Rating: 78.2#14 LW	MARK SCHEIFELE Rating: 87.4#4 C	BLAKE WHEELER Rating: 81.0#6 RW	FL1 Rating Rating: 82.19#2 FL1
KYLE CONNOR Rating: 76.1#23 LW	BRYAN LITTLE Rating: 72.8#88 C	PATRIK LAINE Rating: 80.3#9 RW	FL2 Rating Rating: 76.39#6 FL2
MATHIEU PERREAULT Rating: 73.3#71 LW	ADAM LOWRY Rating: 73.4#70 C	BRANDON TANEV Rating: 70.8#89 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 72.49#13 FL3
ANDREW COPP Rating: 71.8#74 LW	Jack Roslovic Rating: 68.0#189 C	MASON APPLETON	FL4 Rating Rating: 69.91#22 FL4

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS		Defense
JOSH MORRISSEY Rating: 75.4#23 LD	JACOB TROUBA Rating: 77.0#18 RD	DL1 Rating Rating: 76.17#11 DL1
BEN CHIAROT Rating: 70.3#108 LD	DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN Rating: 80.5#6 RD	DL2 Rating Rating: 75.41#7 DL2
DMITRY KULIKOV Rating: 69.9#116 LD	TYLER MYERS Rating: 74.3#30 RD	DL3 Rating Rating: 72.13#11 DL3