Canucks at Jets
The Vancouver Canucks have lost three in a row (0-2-1) and six of their last seven games (1-4-2), but they'll receive no sympathy from the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday when the clubs meet at MTS Centre. Winless in their last six (0-5-1), the Jets answered a demoralizing 7-0 rout by Nashville on Saturday with a promising performance two nights later - albeit in a 3-2 setback to St. Louis.
"It was a better effort, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow," said Winnipeg center Bryan Little, who has seen his team surrender 26 goals during the winless skid. Putting a disastrous four-game road trip in their rear-view mirror would be a wise move for coach Paul Maurice's charges, who only netted four goals during their last three tilts at home. Vancouver also was left with a sour taste in its mouth as it squandered a three-goal lead in the second period in a 4-3 overtime loss to Montreal on Monday. The Canucks will wrap up their season-high seven-game road trip on Wednesday while the Jets are opening a three-game homestand.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, RSN
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (7-6-6): Matt Bartkowski is getting plenty tired of seeing his team skate away with its head down following six overtime decisions this season. "Are we 0-6? Geez," Bartkowski told the Vancouver Sun. "It's painful. There's really no other word for it." Ryan Miller has won his last two starts versus Winnipeg to improve to 14-6-5 against the club in his career.
ABOUT THE JETS (8-9-2): Maurice told reporters he's not dismayed with the team's slow starts despite seeing Winnipeg yield the first goal in 15 of its 19 games this season. "At 8-4-2, we were giving up goals early on and it wasn't bothering us," Maurice said. "... It shouldn't matter who scores the first goal because if you're a real good team, that doesn't faze you." Bruising defenseman Dustin Byfuglien scored a goal versus St. Louis, but he has yet to do the same in 19 career meetings versus Vancouver.
OVERTIME
1. Winnipeg is 1-for-27 on the power play in the last eight contests.
2. Vancouver is 4-for-12 with the man advantage in its last three games after failing on all 16 opportunities in the previous five contests.
3. Jets G Michael Hutchinson has won both of his starts at home this season.