Jets at Blackhawks
The tables have turned in the ultra-competitive Central Division, with perennial power Chicago fighting to stay out of the basement and surprising Winnipeg sitting atop the pack. The red-hot Jets can become the third team in the NHL to hit the 60-point mark when they continue their four-game road trip with a visit to the Blackhawks on Friday night.
Winnipeg surged into first place behind a high-powered offense that has produced at least four goals in each win during its current seven-game point streak (6-0-1). "Everyone's stepped up a little bit," Jets forward Blake Wheeler said following Tuesday's 7-4 rout in Buffalo. "We've had some injuries and some guys have been given opportunities to play a little bit different role, a little bit bigger role, and done a good job." After beating up on Edmonton and Ottawa by a combined 12-3 count, Chicago fell to division rival Minnesota 2-1 on Wednesday in the opener of a six-game homestand. Friday's game is expected to mark the Windy City debut of forward Anthony Duclair, who was acquired from Arizona on Wednesday in a four-player trade.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), NBCS Chicago
ABOUT THE JETS (26-11-7): Wheeler, among the NHL's leaders in points (52) and assists (38), and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck were selected to the All-Star team. Hellebuyck owns a nine-game point streak (7-0-2) dating to last month's loss at Chicago. “The real difference in our season this year is the confidence we have in our goaltending,” Wheeler said. “He was pretty young to be given the starting role last year. ... I don’t think anyone ever wrote him off or lost confidence in him."
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (21-16-6): Duclair and defenseman Adam Clendening were brought in by Chicago general manager Stan Bowman in exchange for forwards Richard Panik and Laurent Dauphin. Duclair scored in each of his last two games with Arizona and had 20 goals in his first full season in 2015-16. "He's sort of a player that embodies what the NHL is all about now in terms of his speed and his ability to put the puck in the net," Bowman said. "He brings the ability to be a really electrifying player."
OVERTIME
1. Wheeler has five goals and six assists during a seven-game point streak.
2. Chicago won at Winnipeg 5-1 on Dec. 14 -- the fifth straight victory by the road team in the series.
3. The Jets are 9-for-23 during a six-game power-play streak while Chicago is 10-for-10 on the penalty kill in the past four.