ST. PAUL - The second meeting of the season between the Winnipeg Jets and the Minnesota Wild will feature two teams looking to get back in the win column.
For the Jets (17-4-0), they're trying to rebound from a 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday. It was the second game of a back-to-back for the Jets against a rested and desperate Predators squad, but Winnipeg isn't using that as an excuse.
"I think even if you don't have energy, it's the reads, it's kind of the battle level," said captain Adam Lowry after the game. "I think there's just another level that we got to get to, and we expect to get to, so you regroup and get ready for a really good Minnesota team."
The Wild are second place in the Central Division at 13-3-4 (four points behind the Jets) and fell 4-3 in a shootout to Calgary two nights ago. Minnesota trailed 3-1 late in regulation, but a power play goal from Brock Faber and a Marco Rossi tally with 34 seconds left on the clock tied things up.
Winnipeg won the first meeting of the season between the two teams by a score of 2-1 back in October. Kyle Connor scored the overtime winner on the power play, with Mark Scheifele adding the other Jets goal in regulation.
Monday's tilt is the third stop on a six-game road trip for the Jets, who will be without Dylan Samberg after the Hermantown, MN product broke a bone in his foot in the second period in Nashville. Ville Heinola was recalled from his conditioning stint (after playing two games for the Manitoba Moose) and will join the team in Minnesota.
The Jets will hold a morning skate at 11 am CT at Xcel Energy Center. Stay tuned for line-up updates as they come available.
-- Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
