Penguins at Jets
THE STORY: Winnipeg fans clamoring for a chance to see Sidney Crosby in person for the first time went home disappointed two months ago. Crosby won't be on the ice during Pittsburgh's next visit, either. The Penguins superstar remains sidelined indefinitely as his club takes on the Jets at the MTS Centre on Friday night. Winnipeg earned a 2-1 victory Oct. 17, the first meeting between the clubs since the Jets relocated from Atlanta. That game marked the first NHL victory in Winnipeg since 1996 – and the Jets have racked up a whole bunch more since. Winnipeg sports a 12-5-1 home mark, and has gone 3-1-1 on its six-game homestand that concludes Friday night. The Jets are coming off an impressive 4-0 blanking of the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. Pittsburgh has won two straight games and hasn't lost a beat without Crosby – thanks in large part to a recent scoring surge from Evgeni Malkin.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Root Sports, TSN Jets
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (19-11-4): Malkin is one of the most enigmatic stars in the league – but when he's on, opposing teams don't stand much of a chance. The Russian forward is on an incredible run, with 10 goals and 15 assists in his last 14 games. The streak is highlighted by nine multi-point efforts, including a three-assist performance in Tuesday's 3-2 victory over the NHL-leading Chicago Blackhawks.
ABOUT THE JETS (16-13-5): Winnipeg has to be happy with Blake Wheeler's efforts to distribute the puck so far this season, but the club is probably more pleased with his two-goal effort in Thursday's win. It was the first multi-goal effort since April 5 for Wheeler, who leads the club with 18 assists but came into Thursday with only three goals. The 25-year-old has 10 goals and 28 assists in 56 games since coming to the Jets franchise in a trade with Boston.
OVERTIME:
1. Pittsburgh had won four straight meetings prior to its Oct. 17 loss.
2. Malkin has 10 goals and 18 assists in 19 career games against the Jets franchise.