Canucks at Jets
The Vancouver Canucks hope to keep building confidence with a young group that they can take into next season as they've posted impressive wins over the Western Conference’s top two teams over their last three games. The Canucks look to add a victory over another team with a promising future when they visit the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.
The Canucks knocked off conference-leading Chicago 5-4 in overtime on Tuesday and surprised Minnesota 4-2 on Saturday as 2015 first-round pick Brock Boeser scored in his NHL debut. The Jets have been too inconsistent to make a run for the playoffs this time around but have a bright future with talented young forwards such as rookie Patrik Laine, Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers putting up big numbers. Scheifele is one goal shy of reaching 30 for the first time in his career, Laine has netted 34 tallies and Ehlers is fourth on the team with 58 points. The Jets, who have lost two straight following a four-game point streak (3-0-1), have won five of their last six meetings with the Canucks but split a pair of 4-1 decisions in Vancouver earlier this season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sportsnet
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (30-35-9): Boeser, the 23rd selection in 2015, signed an entry-level contract on Saturday after scoring 43 goals in two seasons at the University of North Dakota and registered four shots along with three hits in 12 minutes, 44 seconds of ice time versus Minnesota. Reid Boucher scored a pair of goals against Minnesota to give him five in 19 games - and three in his last three contests - since being claimed off waivers from New Jersey. Bo Horvat notched two assists Saturday and leads the team with 49 points but has gone nine games without a goal, while captain Henrik Sedin (45 points) has tallied twice in his last three contests.
ABOUT THE JETS (33-35-7): Scheifele, who is slated to play his 300th NHL game Sunday, has collected three goals and seven assists over his last 10 contests to lead the team with 75 points while captain Blake Wheeler is next with 64 – including 16 in his last 13 matches. Laine has cooled off a bit this month with three goals in 11 games after recording eight in the final six contests of February. Jacob Trouba (upper body) returned to the lineup in Friday’s 3-1 loss at Anaheim, but fellow defenseman Dustin Byfuglien (12 goals, 48 points) missed the game with an undisclosed injury.
OVERTIME
1. Winnipeg C Mathieu Perreault has recorded three goals and five assists while posting a plus-3 rating in his last five games.
2. Vancouver RW Jack Skille scored his fifth goal of the season Saturday but left the game with an ankle injury and did not return.
3. The Jets have registered at least one power-play goal in six straight games while the Canucks are 3-for-24 with the man advantage over their last 11 contests.