Jets at Hurricanes
New Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice has responded well to critics of his hiring. Now, Maurice will come face to face with the club he once led as he and the Jets face the Hurricanes in Carolina on Tuesday night. The Jets have eight victories in 10 games since Maurice was hired in place of the departed Claude Noel, but they'll be in tough against a Carolina team that defeated visiting St. Louis 3-1 on Friday night for its fifth victory in the last six games.
Maurice realizes he's headed to familiar territory, but downplayed the effect his return to Raleigh (N.C.) will have on him. "It's not the same novelty as the first time through," he told the Winnipeg Sun. "It's more being on the bus driving around the streets. Every city you never know where you are and here you know exactly where you are." The Jets are coming off a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens fueled by Al Montoya's 30-save performance.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN (Winnipeg), FSCR (Carolina)
ABOUT THE JETS (27-25-5): More than the feeling of nostalgia, Maurice is focusing on the fact that the Hurricanes have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL over the past two weeks. "One of the most aggressive teams that we've seen in terms of their schemes and their systems," Maurice told the Sun. "I watch them play a fair amount just to keep up with the guys and how they're doing. I expect them to be at their best." The Jets are paced by the talented duo of Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little, who lead the team with 45 points apiece.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (25-20-9): Carolina's top line of Jiri Tlusty, captain Eric Staal and Alexander Semin has been humming along recently, but the second line of Jordan Staal, Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner has been scuffling. The trio came alive in the win over the Blues, with Skinner scoring just his second goal in the past 10 games after tallying 17 times in a 17-game stretch during December and January. "I think the last few games we've had some real good looks," Skinner told the Raleigh News and Observer. "Finally one went in for us. We need to keep building off that."
OVERTIME
1. Winnipeg has won four of the last five meetings, scoring exactly four goals in each of the victories.
2. Skinner has four goals and seven assists in 12 career games against the current Jets' franchise.
3. The Jets are 13-9-1 against the Eastern Conference.