Capitals at Jets
Blake Wheeler has been red-hot for the Winnipeg Jets, recording multiple points in each of his last four games and at least one in 10 straight. The 32-year-old captain hopes to continue his torrid pace when the Jets host the reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
Wheeler has collected two goals and 17 assists during his streak and leads Winnipeg with 23 points. He has netted one tally and set up 11 others in his last four contests - a span that includes a career-best five-point performance in a 5-2 home triumph over Colorado on Friday. The Jets posted an identical victory over visiting New Jersey on Sunday and look for a similar outcome against Washington, which avoided a three-game slide with Tuesday's 5-2 win at Minnesota in the opener of its four-game road trip. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov recorded two goals and an assist while Tom Wilson tallied in his season debut after having his 20-game suspension reduced to 14 earlier in the day.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TVA, NBCS Washington Plus, Sportsnet (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (8-6-3): After having his six-game point streak halted by Arizona on Sunday, Evgeny Kuznetsov recorded an assist versus the Wild to reach 200 for his career. Andre Burakovsky, who registered just one goal and one assist in his first 16 contests this season, doubled both totals in Tuesday's victory. Nicklas Backstrom set up a tally against Minnesota, giving him two goals and five assists during his six-game point streak.
ABOUT THE JETS (10-5-1): Wheeler earned the NHL's Second Star of the Week honors after notching seven points in only two games. The veteran right wing, who is the first member of the franchise to record five points in a contest since Ilya Kovalchuk in 2009, joined Wayne Gretzky as the only players in NHL history to register an assist on nine straight team goals before scoring an empty-netter against the Avalanche. Mark Scheifele also has been wielding a hot stick, recording back-to-back three-point performances to give him seven goals and eight assists in his last nine contests.
OVERTIME
1. Jets D Dustin Byfuglien is riding a six-game point streak during which he has collected a goal and seven assists.
2. Orlov, who notched only two points in his first 16 games this season, is three assists shy of 100 for his career.
3. Winnipeg rookie LW Brendan Lemieux, the son of former NHL star Claude Lemieux, is eligible to return to the lineup after serving a two-game suspension for a high hit on Florida's Vincent Trocheck.