Bruins at Jets
THE STORY: There is a no better time than now for the Winnipeg Jets to make a push for the postseason. The Jets, four points out of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, open a season-long eight-game homestand when the Boston Bruins pay a visit to the MTS Centre on Friday night. After blistering through November and December, the Bruins have leveled off a bit since the start of 2012 and are in search of back-to-back wins for the first time in over a month.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NESN, TSN
ABOUT THE BRUINS (35-18-2): The Northeast Division-leading Bruins got their six-game road trip started on a high note, notching a 4-3 shootout win over Montreal on Wednesday. Tim Thomas made 26 saves while improving to 5-0 in shootouts. Backup Tuukka Rask could be in line for the start against the Jets as he attempts to snap a four-game losing skid. He has excelled against the Winnipeg franchise, going 5-2-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average and two shutouts. Boston has traded wins and losses over its past six games.
ABOUT THE JETS (27-26-6): Now that Evander Kane is back in the lineup, he’s doing his best to propel the Jets. The 20-year-old forward scored twice in regulation and had the winner in the shootout of Winnipeg’s 4-3 win over Minnesota on Thursday. Kane has scored four times in five games since returning from an injury. “That extra point was huge,” he said. “This gives us a lot of energy moving forward.” After a night off, Ondrej Pavelec will likely be in net. He has allowed 10 goals in his past two outings, both losses.
OVERTIME:
1. Marc Savard, Nathan Horton, and Rich Peverley are expected to sit because of concussions for the Bruins.
2. The Jets are winless (0-20-3) this season when trailing after two periods, making them the only NHL team to not have a win when down after 40 minutes.