Hurricanes at Jets
THE STORY: The Winnipeg Jets are enjoying a safe haven in Manitoba. Winners of six of their last seven at MTS Centre, the Jets will vie for their season-high fourth straight win when they host the Southeast Division rival Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. Winnipeg improved to 7-2-1 in its last 10 games on Tuesday by besting the red-hot Boston Bruins, who hadn't lost in regulation in 15 games. "We know if we’re going to stick with the plan, if we’re going to play the way we want, that we can beat everybody,” said goaltender Ondrej Pavelec, who is riding a personal three-game winning streak. After beating one of the East's elite teams, the Jets will now face, well, the club with the lowest point total in the conference. Carolina collected its first win under coach Kirk Muller with a 5-3 triumph over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. The victory also snapped a season-high seven-game losing skid for the Hurricanes.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSCR, TSN
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (9-17-4): G Cam Ward stopped 22 shots against the Oilers, and then scooped up the puck and handed it to Muller. "It's been a while since we won a hockey game. We wanted to do this for Kirk, he's been great since he got here," Ward said. Although the Hurricanes dropped a 3-1 decision to Winnipeg on Nov. 25, Ward has fared well versus the former Atlanta Thrashers franchise. He has posted a 19-9-3 career mark. After failing to score in 10 games, Tuomo Ruutu has tallied in back-to-back contests. The 28-year-old Finn also scored in a 5-3 loss to Winnipeg on Oct. 22.
ABOUT THE JETS (12-11-4): Evander Kane has been sizzling on the ice as of late. Kane has collected nine goals and three assists during the last 10 games - and has tallied in both matchups this season versus Carolina. Former Hurricanes and current Jets captain Andrew Ladd scored versus Boston to snap a four-game streak without a point. Prior to the skid, Ladd had points in five straight and seven of eight games.
OVERTIME:
1. Much maligned Hurricanes D Tomas Kaberle recorded a pair of assists for his second straight two-point performance.
2. Jets C Bryan Little has collected six goals and six assists in his last 10 games.