GAME DAY: Jets return home to face Eichel, Sabres

Be sure to catch the JetsTV Live Pre-Game Show with Jamie Thomas, Mitchell Clinton & more beginning at 6:00pm CT right here on WinnipegJets.com and the Jets mobile app, as well as YouTube and Facebook Live.
WINNIPEG - The second half of the Winnipeg Jets schedule starts with some angry visitors making the trip to the Manitoba capital.
The Buffalo Sabres (10-21-9) dropped a 6-2 decision to the Minnesota Wild last night. The Jets know in order to come out on top tonight, they'll have to play every bit as well as they have in their last four games, a span in which they've gone 3-0-1.
"You get a tough night like that, your group is more focused for sure. So the start is really important for our team," said head coach Paul Maurice.
"When you're doing your prep work, you just cut that game off and focus on what they've been doing - a lot of overtime games, a lot of tight games, and some wins against good teams."

After finishing a road trip with three of a possible four points, the Jets (23-11-7) look to snap a four-game skid against the Sabres that dates back to December of 2015.
The Sabres have been the topic of conversation around the Jets dressing room leading into yesterday's practice, and with another match-up against Buffalo coming in less than a week, defenceman Josh Morrissey says the team wants to make the most of tonight's meeting on home ice.
"First of all we have great fans. We always have a great atmosphere. One of the things we try to do is make it a tough rink for other teams to play in. It's a huge help when we have the fans," Morrissey said of Winnipeg's 14-3-1 record at Bell MTS Place.
"As players, in this rink we really build off momentum. So for us, we've really focused on making it a hard rink to play in and a rink other teams don't want to come in here and play all that often. It's been a good first half, and we need to keep doing that at home."
With a lighter schedule in January, Maurice says the additional practice time will mean more optional pre-game skates. That was the case this morning, but the head coach said the line-up would be the same as the one that took the ice in Colorado two nights ago:
Connor-Wheeler-Laine
Perreault-Little-Ehlers
Copp-Lowry-Armia
Matthias-Hendricks-Dano
Morrissey-Trouba
Kulikov-Myers
Chiarot-Byfuglien
Buffalo didn't hold a morning skate, and hasn't gone two consecutive games without earning at least a point since Dec. 5. Forward Jack Eichel has eleven points in his last eight games, while Sam Reinhart - who had one of Buffalo's two goals last night - has goals in consecutive games for the third time this season.

"They've got a lot of guys that have the potential to put pucks in the back of our net. They're a team that has been hit with a little bit of bad luck, I think they're a better team than their record shows," said Matt Hendricks. "I think they're coached well, their structure is strong, but they've had a hard time finding wins, and we don't want that to come against us tonight."
Sitting one point back of St. Louis for the Central Division lead with two games in hand, the Jets are happy with their first half. The 23 wins, 53 points, and 0.646 winning percentage are the most the club has had at this point since relocating to Winnipeg in 2011.
But Maurice said the room also realizes the team will have to continue to improve in the second half of the season.
"The game is going to change here. The way the game is played, the way it looks. After Christmas, after the All-Star break it changes," said Maurice.
"When you look at the Western Conference, you think you'd be pretty good - you're one point out of first. But you're six points into the playoffs - the change of gears, the grind that's coming. Not necessarily schedule grind, (but) the compete on each game. The intensity ramps up."

ICE CHIPS
Toby Enstrom has an appointment with the doctor today to determine if he gets the "green light" to return to action. Maurice said the team will know more after practice on Saturday, ahead of the home stand finale against San Jose on Sunday afternoon.
Mark Scheifele continues to progress from his upper-body injury sustained on Dec. 27.
"I think he is going to be a quick healer. He has been over the course of his career. He's not enjoying it by any means. We'll have to watch him trying to get a little ahead of himself," said Maurice.
"He's in a phase where most of what he's doing is nothing. Letting it settle down and start the healing process. It's the most frustrating part for the player. For a guy like Mark, once he can get back into the weight room and start doing some things. His mood will pick up.
"Right now he's got another 10 days or so of not a whole lot of movement."
- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
JETS GAME NOTES
Tonight's Game
The Winnipeg Jets play a pair of home games at Bell MTS Place this weekend, beginning tonight against the Buffalo Sabres...The Jets lost 3-2 in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday to begin 2018...After tonight, the Jets host the San Jose Sharks on Sunday for a rare matinee game before flying out on a three-game road trip to face the Sabres again on Jan. 9, before playing a back-to-back at Chicago and Minnesota next weekend.
Jets vs. Sabres Notes
- The Jets have lost four in a row to the Sabres, having been swept in the last two season series'.
- Winnipeg's last win against Buffalo was on Dec. 16/15 5-1 at home, which was the Jets' third straight victory against the Sabres and ninth win in the previous 10 meetings.
- The Jets are 9-5-1 against the Sabres since the franchise moved to Winnipeg in 2011...The five losses have come in the last eight games.
Halfway Point
Tuesday's 3-2 overtime setback against the Avalanche was the Jets' 41st game of the 2017-18 season and their halfway point of the campaign...Winnipeg sports a 23-11-7 record through 41 games, which is good for 53 points and a .646 points percentage...The totals for wins, points, and points percentage are all the highest that the club has had at the middle of a season since the team moved to Manitoba for the 2011-12 season...The 2006-07 Atlanta Thrashers are the only team in franchise history with a better record at the midpoint, they were 24-11-6 with 54 points and a .659 points percentage.
Twice in a Week
Tonight's game is the first of two meetings in less than a week for the Jets and Sabres...This is the seventh and final time in 2017-18 that the Jets play an opponent twice in a week...In the first six occasions where Winnipeg played a team twice in seven days or less, the Jets sport a 9-2-1 record, including a perfect 6-0-0 in the second leg...In those six games against a squad they have met less than a week earlier, the Jets are outscoring their opposition 28-5.
Home, Sweet Home
The Jets hold down one of the best home records in the NHL this season at 14-3-1, good for a .806 points percentage...Only the Vegas Golden Knights (2) have fewer losses in regulation at home in the NHL this season...In 2017-18, the Jets have already tied franchise records for consecutive wins on home ice (seven: Nov. 14 - Dec. 11) and consecutive games with a point on home ice (11: Oct. 20 - Dec. 14)... The Jets are clicking at 31.8% (21-for-66) on the power play at home, which is second in the NHL.
Facing the East
The Jets face an Eastern Conference opponent in just three of their next 14 games...The Jets are 6-5-5 against the Eastern Conference this season, including a 1-3-3 record versus the Atlantic Division...Winnipeg has earned a point in their last two games against Atlantic opponents (4-3 OTL at Tampa Bay on Dec. 9/17 and 3-2 SOL at Boston on Dec. 21/17...Patrik Laine (5G, 4A) and Blake Wheeler (3G, 6A) lead the Jets with nine points in seven games against the Atlantic.
Points in Four
The Jets have a point in four consecutive games (3-0-1) since the Christmas break and have points in seven of their last eight games (5-1-2)...Winnipeg's longest point streak of the season is eight games (5-0-3) from Oct. 20-Nov. 6/17...The Jets have only suffered three losing streaks of two or more games so far this season...In the games following those streak-breaking victories, the Jets have yet to fall back and suffer another loss, going 6-0-2 in games after ending a losing streak.
Two-Wheeler
Captain Blake Wheeler scored twice against Colorado to register his 13th multi-point game of the season, which is tied for the seventh-most in the NHL...It's the first time this season he's had a multi-point game without having an assist...It's the second time this season he's done it with multiple goals, as he had a hat trick as part of a four-point night Oct. 29 vs. PIT...Wheeler is the only player in the NHL this season to have three four-point games.
Gettin' Streaky
Blake Wheeler's two-goal game in Colorado extended his point streak to four games (4G, 2A) and goal scoring streak to three games (3G)...It's his fourth point streak of three games or more this season...Patrik Laine had a pair of assists against the Avalanche on Tuesday to extend his point streak to three games (5A)...It's the first time in his career that Laine has had a three-game point streak without scoring a goal.
Third First Star
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck led the Jets to three consecutive wins last week coming out of the Christmas break to be named the NHL's First Star of the Week for the week ending Dec. 31/17...Since Dec. 16/17, Hellebuyck is unbeaten in regulation with a 5-0-2 record and has a 1.82 goals-against average and .941 save percentage in the seven games...He's in the NHL's top 10 in wins (3rd - 21), goals-against average (9th - 2.38), save percentage (T-10th - .922) and shutouts (T-4th - 3) ...This is the first time in his career that Hellebuyck has been selected in the NHL's Three Stars of the Week...He joins Blake Wheeler (Dec. 4 - First Star) and Nikolaj Ehlers (Oct. 16 - First Star) as members of the Jets that have earned NHL Three Stars of the Week honours this season.
Jets vs. Sabres All-Time Records
Overall: 32-21-6
At Bell MTS Place: 5-2-0
At KeyBank Center: 13-15-2