Canadiens at Jets
THE STORY: A home-heavy December may actually be working against the Winnipeg Jets, who have lost two of three as they prepare to entertain the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. Winnipeg plays 12 of its 14 December games at the MTS Centre, but has lacked focus over the last week. Speculation that some guys may be thinking ahead to the holiday break doesn't sit well with forward Blake Wheeler. "If we're losing focus because we're worried about getting our Christmas gifts done or worried about cooking our ham or whatever it is, that's unacceptable," he said. "This is a great time of the year to be a hockey player. That should be our mindset." Montreal dropped a 5-1 decision to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday to fall to 0-3-0 under new head coach Randy Cunneyworth. The Canadiens have dropped four in a row overall, leaving them at the bottom of a competitive Northeast Division.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, RDS, TSN Canadiens, TSN Jets
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (13-15-7): Some fans and media members questioned the club's sanity after it dealt defenseman Jaroslav Spacek to Carolina for high-priced blue-liner Tomas Kaberle. So far, he has managed to keep the critics at bay. The one-time power-play quarterback for the Toronto Maple Leafs has five assists through his first six games. To boot, his even rating is significantly better than the minus-12 mark he posted with the Hurricanes.
ABOUT THE JETS (15-13-5): Evander Kane's roller-coaster season has taken another rough twist. The 20-year-old has just two assists in his last five games after catching fire with seven goals in his previous eight contests. Kane's month has included a minus-four effort in a one-sided loss to Detroit and a one-shot performance in a narrow defeat at the hands of the Washington Capitals. He was strong in defeat last time out against the New York Islanders, held pointless but registering six shots on goal.
OVERTIME:
1. Montreal has won the last three meetings between the clubs, outscoring the Jets franchise 11-3 in the process.
2. Winnipeg has struggled mightily against the Northeast Division, winning just three of its last 17 encounters.
3. The Jets have just one power-play goal in their last five games. That includes a goose egg in a loss to the Islanders on Tuesday, a game in which Winnipeg didn't earn a single man-advantage chance.