Preview: Blues at Jets

[January 21, 2017]  The Winnipeg Jets have dominated their fellow Central Division representatives in five games at MTS Centre this season, outscoring the group by an overwhelming 23-4 margin. The Jets carry an impressive 9-4-1 mark versus their division rivals into Saturday's tilt against the St. Louis Blues.

Blake Wheeler raised his point total to 15 (six goals, nine assists) in his last 16 games on Wednesday as he was one of six different goal-scorers in a 6-3 victory over Arizona. The 30-year-old, who set up a goal in the Jets' 3-2 overtime win over the Blues on Dec. 3, hasn't gone back-to-back games without registering a point since Dec. 8-11. Wheeler and Winnipeg won't be able to flex their muscle against ice-cold goaltender Jake Allen, who did not make the trip to Manitoba after being pulled in his third straight start on Thursday in a 7-3 setback to Washington. "He's just got to unlock and get playing. He's a little bit locked up right now," coach Ken Hitchcock said of the 26-year-old Allen, who has stopped just 26 of 36 shots in a three-game period and owns a disastrous .841 save percentage in his last seven contests.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), TSN3 (Winnipeg)

ABOUT THE BLUES (23-18-5): Winnipeg native Alexander Steen scored two goals and set up another against the Capitals to increase his point total to 12 (five goals, seven assists) in his past nine games. The 32-year-old Steen also tallied in the first meeting with the Jets and has recorded 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in 30 career encounters against the club. Fellow left wing Jaden Schwartz has seven points (one goal, six assists) in his last six after his three-point performance against Washington.

ABOUT THE JETS (21-23-4): Second overall pick Patrik Laine (team-leading 21 goals) sported a yellow non-contact jersey on Friday as he took the ice for the first time since suffering a concussion following a hit by Buffalo's Jake McCabe. While the 18-year-old told reporters that he's feeling better, Laine also admitted that he doesn't remember much about the hit and isn't sure when he'll return to game action. Coach Paul Maurice was quick to connect the dots, telling reporters that "he's absolutely not getting back into a game until he's at 100 percent and clear, and then I'm more interested in getting him in the next game."

OVERTIME

1. Winnipeg D Tobias Enstrom is one point shy of 300 for his career.

2. Hitchcock told reporters on Friday that he hasn't decided whether Carter Hutton or fellow G Pheonix Copley will start versus the Jets.

3. Eight of the last nine meetings between the teams have been decided by one goal.

PREDICTION: Blues 4, Jets 3

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