Winnipeg Jets Aim to Win Seventh Straight Game Over Minnesota Wild Monday
The Winnipeg Jets look to get back in the win column Monday when traveling to the Twin Cities to take on a division rival in the Wild.
The Jets are coming off a troublesome 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators Saturday, where they couldn't generate enough offensive chances. They will face an even tougher challenge Monday when attempting to score against a Minnesota team, that is allowing the second-fewest goals per game with a 2.40 average.
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Winnipeg is right behind them in third with a 2.43 average, which means tonight's matchup should be a defensive showdown. The Jets have beat the Wild in six straight matchups, including a very tight 2-1 overtime victory earlier this season.
In seven of their last eight matchups, the game total has gone under seven goals which shows a history of defensive showcases betweens these two teams.
Minnesota will look to start Filip Gustavsson in net, who presents identical numbers to Winnipeg's confirmed starter Connor Hellebuyck.
Both netminders have a 2.13 goals against average and a .924 save percentage. The only difference is their records as Hellebuyck has a much better 14-2-0 record compared to Gustavsson's 9-3-3 record.
It'll be tough to give any forwards an edge in this one but in their meeting earlier this season, Mark Scheifele recorded a goal and an assist. In his last 16 career games against Minnesota, the Kitchener native has eight goals and seven assists for 15 points.
On the other end of the ice, the Wild may be without their leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov, who is listed as a game-time decision with a lower-body injury. The 27-year-old Russian winger is having a breakout season with 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points in just 19 games.
His absence would play a factor as Kaprizov ranks second in the league in points with one less than Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon, who has played two more games than Kaprizov.
It'll be another exciting battle between the Jets and Wild and you catch the game on Sportsnet at 7:00 PM MT, or catch the live broadcast on Power 97, the FM home of the Winnipeg Jets.
If you are in the Saint Paul area, tickets are very reasonable for Jets versus the Wild with the lowest pair being sold at roughly $42 USD.