Jets at Maple Leafs
THE STORY: The Winnipeg Jets may have the third-most points of any Canadian team in the National Hockey League, but they didn't look like the third-best team in the nation on Wednesday night. The Jets were thumped 7-3 by the Montreal Canadiens, and will look to bounce back against another cross-country foe as they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. It's the second meeting between the clubs in less than a week after the Jets escaped with a 3-2 home victory back on New Year's Eve. That capped an incredible month for Winnipeg, but with January featuring a slew of road dates, the Jets may be in tough to remain above .500. Winnipeg is just 5-9-4 away from the MTS Centre, leaving it with the second-fewest road victories in the Eastern Conference. Toronto bounced back nicely from the defeat in Manitoba, torching the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-3 to halt a three-game losing skid.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN Jets, Leafs TV
ABOUT THE JETS (19-15-5): Who knew Lars Eller would turn out to be the second coming of Maurice Richard? Certainly not the shell-shocked Jets, who saw Eller score four goals Wednesday night - including three during Winnipeg's third-period meltdown. Eller came into the contest with zero points in four career games against the Jets franchise. It was the second time in 11 games that the Jets have allowed seven goals in a game; they're 6-2-1 in the nine games in between.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (19-15-5): Joffrey Lupul is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down as the season reaches the halfway point. The former Anaheim Ducks castoff had four points against the Lightning, giving him 44 in 39 games so far this season. That leaves him just nine shy of his career high set in 2005-06, which was achieved in 81 games. While there's no official Comeback Player of the Year award in the NHL, Lupul is enjoying a bounce back season for the ages.
OVERTIME:
1. The teams have split the last six meetings overall.
2. Maple Leafs F Phil Kessel has three goals and three assists during a six-game points streak.
3. Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson says whichever goalie wins will continue to play. That means Jonas Gustavsson, who prevailed against the Lightning, will get the start Thursday.