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Winnipeg Jets (24-24-5) at Chicago Blackhawks (32-9-12) 7PM Central TSN/CSN Chicago
THE BUZZ
What once looked like a Sunday night pushover on the schedule is now anything but.
While the Jets are just 5-5 in their last ten games, the Hawks are 4-2-4, and the Jets appear to be surging at the right time as they try to scratch their way into the Western Conference playoff picture.
Make no mistake, the Jets have some talent and appear to be responding to new head coach Paul Maurice. The Jets have also done what perhaps should have been done long ago—moving Dustin Byfuglien back to wing, where he was a considerable difference maker for the Blackhawks in 2009 and 2010.
Duncan Keith returns tonight from illness for the Hawks. Keith is the odds-on favorite at present for the Norris Trophy and his absence was noticeable in a 2-1 loss to Minnesota the other night, where the Hawks clearly struggled to get through the neutral zone all game.
The Hawks also embark on a 7-game road trip after tonight and really need a win in order to set the right tone. Corey Crawford gets the net for Chicago.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Jets
Ladd Little Frollk Kane Scheifele Wheeler Setoguchi Jokinen Byfuglien Thorburn O'Dell Peluso
Bogosian Enstrom Stuart Trouba Pardy Ellerby
Pavelec
Blackhawks
Sharp Toews Hossa Saad Shaw Kane Versteeg Handzus Bickell Bollig Kruger Smith
Keith Seabrook Oduya Hjalmarsson Leddy Rozsival
Crawford
All for now,
JJ