CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS vs WINNIPEG JETS
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Where: Bell MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: WINNIPEG , CHICAGO

Oddsmakers currently have the CHICAGO listed as 200-moneyline favorites versus the WINNIPEG, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Winnipeg Jets have won five of their previous six games entering Tuesday’s home contest with the Chicago Blackhawks but are not satisfied with some aspects of their game, even after a 7-1 blowout of Philadelphia on Sunday. The Jets spent Monday talking about the need for better starts after the Flyers outshot Winnipeg 10-1 in the opening minutes of the first period, requiring goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to record several difficult saves before the offense got on track.

“If we play a really good team, they’re not going to give us any easy goals,” Jets forward Patrik Laine told reporters after Monday’s practice, one day after seven Winnipeg players (none named Laine, whose 21 goals entering the week ranked tied for second in the NHL) scored in the Philadelphia victory. “We have to be ready from the start.” The Blackhawks gave up the game-winning goal with 1:17 left in Saturday’s 3-2 home loss to Montreal, extending Chicago’s losing streak to seven. Patrick Kane scored twice in the defeat as the Blackhawks lost for the ninth time in 10 games overall and dropped into a tie with Los Angeles for fewest points in the NHL (23). “Kind of the same old story thought,” Kane told the media after Saturday’s defeat. “We got behind and find ourselves back into the game and find a way to lose it late. Another tough loss.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, TSN3 (Winnipeg)

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (9-17-5): Kane scored only twice in his previous 18 games before recording his two goals Saturday, extending his points streak to three games (four points). Defenseman Connor Murphy, sidelined all season with a back injury, finished with four shots on goal and three hits in 16:46 of ice time in his debut Saturday. Goaltender Corey Crawford stopped 25 shots Saturday but fell to 2-13-1 in his past 16 games, and has surrendered four or more goals nine times in that span.

ABOUT THE JETS (18-9-2): The recipe has been pretty simple for Winnipeg during this hot streak that has lifted the Jets within two points of the Western Conference’s top spot: An offense that’s scored four goals or more four times in six games, and strong play from Hellebuyck. After a sluggish start to the season, Hellebuyck is 4-1-0 with a .923 save percentage in his past five games. Offensively, forward Blake Wheeler (32 assists, 37 points) and center Mark Scheifele (16 goals, 35 points) continue helping lead the NHL’s sixth highest-scoring offense (3.45 goals per game).

OVERTIME

1. The Blackhawks have allowed the first goal in 10 consecutive games, and have scored on the power play in only two of their past 10 contests (going 1-for-8 Saturday).

2. Winnipeg F Mathieu Perreault did not practice Monday and will be a game-time decision after leaving in the third period Sunday following a big hit by Philadelphia’s Dale Weise.

3. Chicago F Artem Anisimov remains in concussion protocol after leaving Saturday’s game with 1:03 to play and will not travel to Winnipeg.

PREDICTION: Jets 5, Blackhawks 3

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ST LOUIS vs WINNIPEG
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Friday, December 7, 2018
Where: Bell MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: WINNIPEG , ST LOUIS

Oddsmakers currently have the ST LOUIS listed as 175-moneyline favorites versus the WINNIPEG, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Winnipeg Jets return home Friday to face the St. Louis Blues after a successful road trip that pushed their winning streak to a season-high four games. The Jets swept a three-game swing through New Jersey and New York despite missing several key defensemen because of injuries, finishing the trip with back-to-back goals from Jacob Trouba and Adam Lowry early in the third period of Tuesday’s 3-1 victory at the Islanders – Winnipeg’s fifth victory in six games.

“We believe in our system and when you believe in something, good things start to come,” Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck told reporters after Tuesday’s game. “It’s huge to get all six points on the three games here. A key for your season.” The Blues are seeking a similar hot streak as losses in seven of their past nine games have sank St. Louis into the Central Division cellar. The struggle continued with Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout loss at home to Edmonton with a 2-0 lead evaporating as the Blues blew a two-goal lead for the fourth time this season. “We just stopped making plays,” St. Louis interim coach Craig Berube told the media afterward. “When you stop making plays, you get the puck out and they just pound it back in and that’s their game.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NHL Network; FS Midwest (St. Louis), TSN3 (Winnipeg)

ABOUT THE BLUES (9-13-4): Center Ryan O’Reilly did not register a point Wednesday for only the second time in six games, but leads St. Louis in goals (12) and assists (16). Goaltender Jake Allen stopped 34-of-36 shots against the Oilers but suffered his third loss in his past four games, and has surrendered 10 goals in that span. St. Louis was ranked sixth in the NHL in penalty kill (82.8 percent), but is allowing 3.35 goals per game (24th in the league entering Thursday).

ABOUT THE JETS (17-8-2): Hellebuyck has shaken off a brief slump, winning his past three starts and making 27 saves Tuesday. Forward Patrik Laine entered Thursday leading the NHL in goals (21), five of those coming in a road victory over the Blues on Nov. 24. Forward Nikolaj Ehlers has four goals in his past four games, helping support a defense corps that featured three players Tuesday who started the season in the AHL (Cam Schilling, Nelson Nogier, Sami Niku).

OVERTIME

1. St. Louis F Jaden Schwartz (upper body), F Alexander Steen (concussion) and D Carl Gunnarsson (upper body) took part in Thursday’s morning skate, but are listed as day-to-day.

2. Jets coach Paul Maurice told reporters Thursday that D Dustin Byfuglien (concussion), D Dmitry Kulikov (upper body), D Josh Morrissey (lower body) and F Andrew Copp (concussion) could return Friday.

3. The Blues have allowed four goals or more in four of their past five losses, including eight in last month’s setback to Winnipeg.

PREDICTION: Jets 5, Blues 2

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WINNIPEG JETS vs NY RANGERS
When: 6:00 PM  ET, Sunday, December 2, 2018
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

TV: 6:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: NY RANGERS , WINNIPEG

Oddsmakers currently have the WINNIPEG listed as -150-moneyline favorites versus the NY RANGERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Winnipeg Jets continue their three-game trip through the greater New York City area when they visit the Rangers on Sunday. Winnipeg improved to 4-1-0 versus the Metropolitan Division after blowing a two-goal lead in the third period before defeating New Jersey 4-3 in overtime Saturday for its third victory in four games, and plays the Islanders in Brooklyn on Tuesday before heading home for four games.

Jets right wing Patrick Laine, who scored 18 goals in November and leads the NHL with 21, was kept off the scoresheet Saturday for the second time in three games. New York lost for the fourth time in five contests with a 5-2 setback at Montreal on Saturday as the memory of a 9-1-1 stretch continues to fade. Henrik Lundqvist is expected to be in goal for the Rangers after backup Alexandar Georgiev made 36 saves Saturday and will likely oppose Connor Hellebuyck since backup Laurent Brossoit stopped 36 shots versus the Devils. Winnipeg and New York split last season’s two-game series with the road team winning each time as the Jets prevailed 3-0 at Madison Square Garden on the strength of Laine’s hat trick.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE JETS (15-8-2): Mark Scheifele scored twice against New Jersey, including the winner when he stole the puck from Nico Hischier just inside the blueline and stuffed his own rebound past Keith Kinkaid for his 15th of the season. Scheifele’s third consecutive multi-point performance (four goals, three assists) moved him to within two points of Blake Wheeler (33 points), who recorded his 29th assist Saturday, for the team lead. Mason Appleton, the 168th overall pick in the 2015 draft, recorded an assist Saturday in his first NHL game after collecting 84 points (30 goals) in 95 games with AHL Manitoba this season and last.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (13-12-2): Mika Zibanejad recorded two assists Saturday to take over the team lead with 23 points and has recorded a goal and five assists in his last six games. Chris Kreider (team-high 13 goals, 21 points) has one point in his last five games while Jimmy Vesey scored versus Montreal, giving him two goals in the last four contests and moving him to second on the team with nine. Mats Zuccarello missed his fourth straight game Saturday with a groin injury while Vladislav Namestnikov has missed the last two because of a concussion.

OVERTIME

1. Winnipeg was the only team in the league with both special teams in the top eight entering Saturday as the power play was No. 3 and the penalty-killing unit eighth.

2. New York scored on the power play Saturday and is 1-for-11 in its last five games while its penalty killers allowed a goal for the first time in six contests (8-for-9).

3. The Jets’ blueline continues to perform without Joe Morrow (lower body), Dustin Byfuglien (concussion) and Dmitry Kulikov (upper body), although Morrow could return soon.

PREDICTION: Jets 3, Rangers 2

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BUFFALO SABRES vs WINNIPEG JETS
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Friday, November 16, 2018
Where: Bell MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: WINNIPEG , BUFFALO

Oddsmakers currently have the BUFFALO listed as 180-moneyline favorites versus the WINNIPEG, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

It is far too early for the Buffalo Sabres to start thinking about the spring, but for a franchise that has missed the playoffs seven consecutive seasons a three-game winning streak and a 10-6-2 record is reason for optimism entering Friday’s road contest against the Winnipeg Jets. Buffalo begins a three-game road trip that features back-to-back contests versus the Jets and Minnesota this weekend, but following Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Tampa Bay the Sabres noted something feels different.

“I don’t think we played our best game (Tuesday) night, but we found a way to win and that’s what good teams do,” Buffalo defenseman Zach Bogosian told reporters Wednesday. “We try not to dwell on the past, but maybe that one wouldn’t have happened in the past.” The Jets finally are playing at the level many expected of last season’s Western Conference finalist as Winnipeg has won three in a row and eight of its past 11 games following Wednesday’s 3-1 triumph over defending Stanley Cup champion Washington. Connor Hellebuyck was outstanding in winning his third consecutive start, making 27 saves against Washington’s high-powered offense and holding Alex Ovechkin off the scoresheet. “(Wednesday) definitely was a big one for us,” Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele told the media after the Jets improved to 8-2-1 at home this season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, MSG Buffalo, TSN3 (Winnipeg)

ABOUT THE SABRES (10-6-2): Center Jeff Skinner scored his 13th goal of the season Tuesday and has seven tallies to go along with one assist in his past six games – moving within one point of 400 for his career. San Reinhart earned an assist on Skinner’s goal, his sixth assist in his past five games as the Sabres improved to 9-0-0 when he registers at least one point. Carter Hutton stopped 29-of-30 shots on goal and in his past three appearances has posted a .946 save percentage.

ABOUT THE JETS (11-5-1): Forward Blake Wheeler extended his point streak to 11 games with an assist Wednesday, and has 18 assists with a plus-8 rating during that stretch. Winnipeg entered Thursday leading the NHL in power-play percentage (34 percent) and Scheifele’s marker with the man advantage Wednesday gave him eight goals and 16 points in his past 10 games. The Jets have scored on the power play in 14 of their 17 games this season and 12 of their past 13 contests.

OVERTIME

1. Winnipeg G Laurent Brossoit, who is 3-0-0 but has not played since Oct. 26, is expected to start Friday.

2. The Sabres early-season success will be tested with six games in the next nine days, including a visit to Pittsburgh on Monday after the weekend back-to-back.

3. Buffalo seeks its first four-game winning streak since Dec. 9-15, 2014.

PREDICTION: Jets 4, Sabres 3

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OTTAWA vs WINNIPEG
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Sunday, December 3, 2017
Where: Bell MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVA (Ottawa), Sportsnet (Winnipeg)
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Jets 5, Senators 2

Oddsmakers currently have the OTTAWA listed as 150-moneyline favorites versus the WINNIPEG, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The last time the Winnipeg Jets were in first place a third of the way through the season, their leading scorers were Bobby Hull, Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg, and they played in the World Hockey Association.

That was 1977-78, nearly two years before the WHA was merged into the NHL, but there are a number of similarities between the two eras, even though they’re 40 years apart.

Both versions play an entertaining brand of hockey based on puck possession, speed and a devastating power play.

There’s one more element that the WHA Jets had that year that the current Jets hope to copy, even though they’re not saying it publicly — a championship. (The AVCO Cup was the WHA’s holy grail and the Jets won it three times.)

After defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 7-4 on Friday night, the Jets climbed atop the mountain in the Western Division with a record of 16-6-4 and 36 points, one point up on the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings. Winnipeg hosts the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night.

The Jets are 8-0-1 in their last nine at home, but as former coach Claude Noel used to say, the players aren’t dislocating their shoulders patting themselves on the back.

Captain Blake Wheeler attributed the team’s success to not looking too far ahead and dealing with what’s in front of them.

“We’ve used each day of practice to get better, we’ve used each game to try and improve in certain areas,” Wheeler told the Winnipeg Free Press. “I don’t think that we’ve peaked. I think we have a ways to go.

“Our team, we’re learning how to play fast and kind of on the fly, and I think we can play faster. With the way the league is going, that’s an exciting thing. We’re enjoying winning, which is kind of new to our group, but we’re not fitting ourselves for rings or anything like that.”

The Senators come to town on the heels of a 6-5 victory over the New York Islanders on Friday night in Brooklyn — a victory that improved their record to 9-9-6 and halted a seven-game losing streak (0-6-1).

But that’s not what was dominating social media circles Saturday. Instead, it was captain Erik Karlsson’s remarks to reporters Thursday that he won’t take a discount to stay with the only NHL club he has ever known — the Senators drafted him in 2008 — when his contract is up at the end of next season.

“When I go to market, I’m going to get what I’m worth, and it’s going to be no less, no matter where I’m going,” Karlsson told The Ottawa Citizen.

“That’s the business part of it. That’s the way every player has been treated ever since this league has started, and I think the players have been a little bit on the other side of things when it comes to negotiations. I think it’s time to realize that when we go to the table, it’s business on both parts, not just (owners).”

STATS AND RECORDS

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WINNIPEG vs VANCOUVER
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Thursday, October 12, 2017
Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia

TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), Sportsnet Vancouver
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Jets 4, Canucks 2

Oddsmakers currently have the WINNIPEG listed as -130-moneyline favorites versus the VANCOUVER, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Connor Hellebuyck is supposed to be a backup goaltender, but he is not playing like one.

Hellebuyck will make his second straight start Thursday as the Winnipeg Jets (1-2-0) visit the Vancouver Canucks (1-0-1) at Rogers Arena.

“It means a lot, but I’ve gotta be ready,” Hellebuyck said of his second start after Wednesday’s practice. “I’ve gotta bring my A game.”

Jets management did not feel that Hellebuyck brought his A game often enough last season as the starter, so the club signed 10-year veteran Steve Mason as a free agent July 1.

OVERTIME

1. The Canucks are 1-for-11 on the power play.

2. Scheifele, who finished seventh in the league in scoring last season, has five points in three games.

3. Canucks F Thomas Vanek, who scored against Ottawa, has 21 goals and 32 points in 41 contests versus Winnipeg.

But Mason, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers last season, allowed three goals on the first 10 shots he faced as a Jet in their season opener at home against Toronto — and was yanked early in the third period after giving up five in all.

Hellebuyck earned the start against Vancouver start after backstopping the Jets to a 5-2 win over the offensively explosive Oilers in Edmonton on Monday. But he is not putting too much stock in his 37-save effort against Connor McDavid and company.

“It’s just one game,” Hellebuyck said. “I see this as another chance for me to just go out there and continue showing what I can do, bringing my best and helping the team succeed.”

Big things have been expected of the Jets in recent seasons, but they have missed the playoffs in three of the past four years. The goaltender position will come under heavy scrutiny this season tries to live up to expectations.

After the Jets signed Mason, Hellebuyck, a 24-year-old Commerce, Mich., native, embarked on an intense offseason conditioning program. Although Hellebuyck declined to get into specifics about his program, he indicated that improvements in his biomechanics have helped him move quicker and feel better about his game.

“Just every day in practice, I feel like myself again,” said Hellebuyck, who went 26-19-4 last season. “I feel good and I feel confident. I can actually go out and play. I have the right foundation and I just need to continue working hard at it.”

Jets coach Paul Maurice said Hellebuyck has earned another start.

“I really liked his game (in Edmonton),” Maurice said. “It was good to get a win.”

Maurice downplayed his decision to sit Mason out again.

“It’s early in the season,” Maurice said. “We got off to a rocky start as a team (against Toronto), and we had a really good performance the other night. So I’m going with the same lineup — that’s all.”

Top defenseman Dustin Byfuglien will miss his second straight game with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Maurice said Byfuglien, who is with the team, is listed as day-to-day.

While the Jets goaltending might have questions, there is no doubt about their offensive firepower. The Canucks will attempt to hold the likes of Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler and Patrick Laine, among others, in check.

Ehlers had eight shots against the Oilers while producing four points. Scheifele and Wheeler had three points apiece.

“We know they have some highly skilled players, guys who can shoot the puck, guys who can play,” Canucks defenseman Chris Tanev said. “We will have to stay out of the (penalty) box against them. They have a good power play.”

As they pay close attention to defense, the Canucks will try to produce more offense. They have only managed one power-play goal on 11 extra-man chances thus far.

“It’s just (a matter of) execution, I feel,” Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said. “Somehow it feels good. We can create off the rush. It’s just that last play needs to be made.”

It remains to be seen how many games Henrik and his twin brother Daniel, two former NHL scoring champions, get to make during man-advantage opportunities and five-on-five.

Without making much of an announcement on the subject, new coach Travis Green has started limiting their ice time in an apparent attempt to keep the 36-year-olds fresh over the long haul.

“I think that’s what you’re going to see this season,” Henrik said. “There’s going to be different guys on the power play, different guys playing more minutes, guys in and out of the lineup. If you buy in, there isn’t going to be a problem.

“There are going to be lots of stories. Maybe that’s good for you guys, but that’s the way it is. We knew this was the way it was going to be.”

In past seasons, the Sedins have received the majority of playing time on most nights. But several other players received more minutes against the Senators.

“It’s a different feeling for us, but we know what’s going to happen,” Henrik said. “We’re going to get some power play time and we need to step up five-on-five.”

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Montreal Canadiens vs Winnipeg Jets
When: 7:30 PM ET, Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, RDS (Montreal), Sportsnet (Winnipeg)
PREDICTION: Canadiens 4, Jets 3

Oddsmakers currently have the MONTREAL listed as -110-moneyline favorites versus the WINNIPEG, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Winnipeg Jets are hoping they can continue scoring by committee until their top sniper returns to the line-up.

The Jets used goals by defenseman Dustin Byfuglien and right winger Blake Wheeler to defeat the Calgary Flames 2-0 at the MTS Centre on Monday night, but other players are hoping to step up into the void left by Patrik Laine’s concussion when they challenge the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old rookie, who has 21 goals this season, has been off the ice since being rocked by an open-ice hit from Buffalo’s Jake McCabe on the weekend.

Drew Stafford, who moved up from the fourth line into Laine’s spot alongside left winger Nik Ehlers and center Mark Scheifele, is planning to carry at least his share of the load. The Milwaukee native scored 21 for the Jets last year and notched 31 in the 2010-11 season. He has bulged the twine just three times this season, although he did miss 15 games due to injury.

“This is something I’ve been doing my whole career,” the 31-year-old told the Winnipeg Free Press. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity and will do my best to help this team in whatever way I can and contribute and help win games. If that’s playing there and hopefully providing some offence, it’s something I look forward to and relish the opportunity.”

Stafford assisted on Byfuglien’s goal on Monday night.

Even though Laine wasn’t on the ice yesterday, he did generate some headlines with news that he has been selected to play in the NHL all-star game later this month in Los Angeles. The Jets have not set any timetable for his return but he has been spotted in civvies and smiling during practices. He watched the Calgary game from the press box with his girlfriend.

The Canadiens canceled practice Tuesday morning following their 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals the night before. The Habs will be well-represented in Los Angeles with coach Michel Therrien, defenseman Shea Weber and goalie Carey Price selected for the mid-season festivities.

The netminder, who backstopped Canada to victory in the World Cup in the fall and the 2014 Olympics, hasn’t displayed his all-world form lately, allowing three or more goals in five of his last six starts.

The Canadiens have a 1-2-2 record in those five games and while his overall record remains stellar at 20-6-4, he is ranked fifth in the NHL in save percentage (.928) and sixth in goals-against average (2.12).

Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that Price wouldn’t set the hockey world on fire this year considering he missed almost all of last season with a serious knee injury.

The Habs were tearing up the league when Price went down in late November immediately went into free-fall, missing the playoffs.

Therrien said even if Price doesn’t play out of his mind this year, he expects his troops to be better equipped to weather any storms.

“Big difference (from last year),” the coach told the Montreal Gazette. “First of all, I’ll say the leadership group is doing a fantastic job. Kids are coming into a really different atmosphere. The team spirit has been great since Day 1 and the leadership group is doing a fantastic job.”

The Canadiens will fly out immediately after Wednesday’s game in advance of meeting the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. It’s expected Al Montoya, who played two seasons with the Jets from 2012-14, will start one of those games.

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Winnipeg Jets vs. Florida Panthers
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet Pacific (Winnipeg), FSN Florida
PREDICTION: Jets 4, Panthers 3

Oddsmakers currently have the Panthers listed as 165-moneyline favorites versus the Jets, while the game’s total is sitting at 5½.

SUNRISE, Fla. — Too bad Aleksander Barkov and Patrik Laine won’t be able to meet on the ice Wednesday night at the BB&T Center.

Both are big, talented and young forwards from Tampere, Finland. Both were the No. 2 overall selections in recent NHL drafts — Barkov to the Florida Panthers in 2013 and Laine to the Winnipeg Jets in 2016.

But when the Jets (18-19-3) visit the Panthers (16-14-8) on Wednesday, Barkov is expected to miss the game due to a lower body injury.

During last fall’s World Cup of Hockey 2016 at Toronto, Barkov, 21, played on a Finnish line with Laine, 18, and Sebastian Aho, 19.

Barkov, who is almost always the youngest player on his Panthers line that also includes 44-year-old legend Jaromir Jagr, said it felt odd to play with two younger guys in the World Cup.

“I usually play with Jagr, and he’s 65-year-old,” Barkov joked as he met with the media in Toronto this past September. “It was weird. I was the oldest guy on the line, and I’m only 21.”

Barkov, who suffered an unspecified injury on Dec. 28 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, set career highs last season in goals (28), assists (31) and points (59) in 66 games.

This season, he has nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points in 36 games, establishing himself as one of the league’s best two-way centers.

Laine, pronounced Lie-nay, has already earned a reputation for one of the hardest shots in hockey.

“I’ve never seen a guy shoot the puck like that,” Jets veteran coach Paul Maurice told the media recently.

Among NHL rookies this season, Laine is tied for the lead with Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs in terms of most goals (20), assists (14) and points (34).

Laine is part of an impressive list of players drafted No. 1 or No. 2 overall in the past four years, including Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Matthews, Barkov, Nathan Mackinnon, Sam Reinhart and Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad.

Already this season, Laine has two hat tricks — in his fourth NHL game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and again in Game No. 14 against the Dallas Stars. Both of those performances were home games for Winnipeg.

Laine, though, hasn’t been able to do much to help a defense that ranks 27th in the NHL in killing penalties and 29th in number of goals allowed.

The defense was not very good again on Tuesday night but the Jets managed to outscore the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4.

Laine had one goal and two assists against Tampa Bay as his confidence continues to grow.

“I’ve seen that I can play in this league,” Laine told the media. “I’ve seen that I can play against the best in the world. My teammates agree with me, and that is the most important thing for me.”

Laine, locked in a battle with McDavid for NHL Rookie of the Year honors, is an intense athlete who is not happy at all whenever he doesn’t score.

Imagine his mood when he got off to a slow start in the exhibition season, but he has been rolling ever since.

“It’s a dream come true to be in the NHL,” Laine told The Chicago Tribune recently. “I want to show everyone that I’m a good player. Hopefully I can be the best one day.”

Other story lines for Wednesday’s game:

= Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo is expected to get the start and if so will attempt for the third time to get win No. 448, which would put him in fifth place in the all-time NHL list.

= Going against a trend, Winnipeg outscored Tampa Bay 3-1 in the second period on Sunday. Prior to that, the Jets had outscored opponents 52-25 in the second period.

= The Jets beat the Panthers 4-3 in a shootout on Dec. 15 Bryan Little scored the tying goal and then scored again in the shootout to lead Winnipeg.

= Jets defenseman Tyler Myers is nearing a return. He has missed 24 games this season due to a lower-body injury. However, he had a light on-ice workout on Tuesday.

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Winnipeg Jets vs. Edmonton Oilers
When: 9:30 PM ET, Sunday, December 11, 2016
Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), Sportsnet Oilers, Sportsnet West (Edmonton)
PREDICTION: Oilers 5, Jets 3

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Oilers’ four-game losing streak is an example of how fine the lines in hockey truly are.

Three of the four losses came in either overtime or the shootout; the one regulation loss of the four saw the Oilers establish 2-0 and 5-3 leads at Philadelphia before giving up a late goal to lose, 6-5.

So, you could argue that the Oilers were only a few breaks away from collecting eight out of a possible eight points out of those four games. They ended up with only three.

They will try to change the pattern when they host the Winnipeg Jets Sunday night at Rogers Place. The Jets will come in with tired legs, having lost 6-2 at Calgary Saturday night. It was the Jets’ third loss in a row.

“We’ve got to get the (Calgary loss) out of our mind and focus on tomorrow, and have that fire in our belly,” said Jets center Mark Scheifele, who has 27 points in 27 games this season. “(The Oilers) are a good team, they’re quick, they’re skilled and we’ve got to be ready for them.”

The hottest Oiler is center Leon Draisaitl; he has scored in five of the last six Oilers games, and has nine points over that span. He scored in Friday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild.

“I think I’m pretty confident right now,” said Draisaitl. “The puck seems to bounce my way a little bit, which didn’t happen in the first couple of games.”

But what’s been troubling for the Oilers is they held leads in each of the four straight losses. If the Oilers want to shake the decade-long pattern of missing the playoffs, the team will have to develop the mental toughness needed when it comes to getting up in a game — and seeing it through to the final buzzer.

“It’s been tough on us of late,” said Oilers coach Todd McLellan. “The schedule, the way we’ve lost some games, the frustration level goes up and, often, when it happens it sucks a lot of energy out of you.”

But he added that he thought the Oilers’ 3-2 shootout loss in Minnesota on Friday night saw all of his players come out with strong efforts.

Now, the challenge is to turn a strong effort into a winning effort.

The Oilers will face a Jets team that’s already playing back-to-back games for the sixth time this season. By contrast, the Oilers have played just three back-to-backs this year. The game will be the Jets’ fifth in seven games.

The diabolical schedule has not pleased Jets coach Paul Maurice.

“I don’t like our schedule at all. I’ve never seen one like it,” Maurice said. “It may be the new NHL, we just have to get used to it and deal with it.”

Maurice said his team will make full use of two days off at home after they head home from Edmonton.

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New York Rangers vs Winnipeg Jets
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, December 8, 2016
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

TV: 8 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), TSN3 (Winnipeg)
PREDICTION: Jets 3, Rangers 2

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — If there ever was a David versus Goliath matchup in the NHL, the New York Rangers versus the Winnipeg Jets is it.

Hockey’s largest population base versus its smallest, a team with more than 90 years of history versus one with just five (in its most recent incarnation), a squad with four Stanley Cup victories and a perennial contender versus one with not only zero championships but not a single playoff game win.

Heck, the original Jets history goes back to the days of the World Hockey Association when the Rangers outbid virtually every other NHL team to sign Swedish superstars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson away in 1978.

So, yeah, you could say the Jets are polishing up their slingshots in advance of facing the blue shirts Thursday night at 7 p.m. (CST) at the MTS Centre. This is the second and final meeting between the two squads. The Rangers defeated the Jets 5-2 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 6.

The Jets have been relying heavily this season on super rookie Patrik Laine, who not only leads all first-year players with 17 goals, but is tied with some guy named Sidney Crosby atop the NHL goal-scoring parade. The Winnipeggers will need some help from some slumping players to take the pressure off the 18-year-old, including his linemate, Nikolaj Ehlers. The 20-year-old notched 15 goals and 38 points last year but has only managed four goals and 19 assists while playing primarily on the top line this season.

He is currently mired in a 14-game goal drought but he’s not losing any sleep over it.

“I’m still scoring points, we’re winning games — it’s not a big deal for me,” Ehlers told the Winnipeg Sun. “So I’m not too worried. But I wouldn’t mind that one goes in soon.”

He’s not getting much sympathy from Laine.

“He can’t score in Playstation, either,” he said.

Presumably, Henrik Lundqvist is between the pipes whenever the two youngsters play the video game version of the Rangers but that won’t be the case on Thursday as backup Antti Raanta will get the start.

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said he believes Lundqvist, who hasn’t cracked the top 10 in goals against average, save percentage, win and shutouts this season, has another level.

“He’s our top player, you know. He’s been doing it for quite a few years. I would tell you that you look at any team right now that’s winning and they are getting consistent Grade A goaltending. We’re no different than anybody else. We need consistent Grade A goaltending,” he told the New York Post.

Both teams will be without key cogs in their wheels. The Jets hope to welcome center Mark Scheifele back after missing three games with a lower-body injury but they’ll still be without defenseman Tyler Myers (lower body) and forwards Nic Petan, Shawn Matthias and Joel Armia, all out with lower-body injuries, too.

The most notable absence in the Rangers lineup is center Rick Nash, who is out with a groin injury. Others who won’t be suiting up include forwards Pavel Buchnevich (back spasms), Matt Puempel (concussion) and Mika Zibanejad (broken leg).

If the game turns into a battle of specialty teams, the ice will definitely tilt in favor of the New Yorkers. The Jets’ power play is 21st in the league, operating at 15.5 percent, a significant drop from the Rangers, who are currently in ninth position and 21 percent. The Rangers kill off 84 percent of all the penalties they take, good for 10th in the NHL, far ahead of the Jets, who emerge unscathed from 80 percent of their short-handed situations, or 24th best.

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