GAME DAY: Sabres at Jets

WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets will look to build off their 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils when they host the Buffalo Sabres at Canada Life Centre at 7 pm CT tonight.

The Jets scored six goals in a game for the third time this season and all three of those performances have come on home ice. The Sabres have won their last two visits to the Manitoba capital but come into tonight’s game without their star centre Tage Thompson. Thompson, who was named to the All-Star game last season but didn't end up going becaaause of an injury, took a shot off the wrist the other night and could be out as long as two months. Even without Thompson, the Sabres remain a dangerous team.

“I mean they are a super talented, skilled team. They’ve got a lot of top young players and some guys that are kind of into their second, third year now, fourth year in the league throughout their lineup. They play with a lot of pace and they’ll try you one on one offensively and as you said they’ve got some guys on the back end that are super talented,” said Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey.

“Obviously (Rasmus) Dahlin and (Owen) Power can really make it happen out there so they’re transition games great and something where we’ll have to manage turnovers. Situations where they can really do some damage, sort of feed into their strengths of their team which is their skill and ability off the rush and transition.

Meanwhile the Jets hope that their strong play five-on-five will continue and that their power play keeps producing. Winnipeg has a power play goal in five of their last six games and scored twice with the man advantage on Tuesday night against New Jersey. Overall, after a slow start, it looks like the Jets are getting to their game more often while on home ice.

“We’ve always said we need to make our arena a tough place to play and we want to build on that record. Make this place a place where teams don’t want to come into. So, we’ve been playing well extending back into that road trip in Arizona and St. Louis,” said Morrissey.

“You know just sticking to our structure, letting our skill and individual abilities come out throughout the game but kind of being committed to being a deep team that plays a tough style, a defensive style of game that doesn’t give teams aa lot and taking what we get after that. I think there’s been a lot of good things, its nice to see the power play get going and some of the big dogs start to feel it up front as well. There’s been a lot of good things, we just want to keep that going these next two.”

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby is expected to make his Jets season debut after he began the season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Jonsson-Fjallby has five points (3G, 2A) with the Moose this season in 10 games.

PROJECTED LINEUP

The Jets had an optional skate this morning and associate coach Scott Arniel said there still some decisions to make for tonight’s lineup. He added there is a “strong chance” that Logan Stanley will play for the second consectiuive game but didn’t rule out Nate Schmidt - even though the 32-year-old defence man was one of the last players off the ice this morning.

Connor Hellebuyck will start against the Sabres, he has a .925 save percentage in 11 games against Buffalo.

FAMILIAR FACES

On the other side, former Winnipeg Ice Zach Benson is expected to be back in the lineup and there is a possibility that former Jet Eric Comrie will be in the net. This is the second season in Buffalo for Comrie but he still circles the calendar when he faces his former teammates.

“I still look. It’s not even that long. It’s been, what, this is my second year with the team. I still look forward to it, I still look to when I can see my buddies, my friends,” said Comrie.

“At the end of the day, it’s a hockey game and it’s an important two points for our team. It’s a really big one for us. We have to get back on the right track here.”