CHICAGO - The Winnipeg Jets close out the road portion of their regular season schedule tonight when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center.
The Jets (54-21-4) are coming off a 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars on Thursday, a victory that gave them a six-point cushion atop the Central Division with three games left on the schedule. A single point against the Blackhawks will give the Jets their first Central Division title and top spot in the Western Conference.
But the Jets aren't focused on one point. They want to close out their road schedule with a win and - at the same time - pick up a 26th road win, which would break the franchise mark of 25 set in the 2023-24 season.
"It’s (been about) milestones throughout the whole year, benchmarks," said Kyle Connor after the win in Dallas, and a two-goal performance that gave him his second 40-goal season in his career. "Obviously, we clinched a playoff spot and right now, we’re chasing the top spot. That’s our goal. To try and get home ice throughout the whole playoffs. It could be the difference down the stretch."
As for the Blackhawks (23-46-10) there is some motivation for them in the final meeting with the Jets as well. Winnipeg has won both of the first two games of the season series, so Chicago would like to avoid the sweep. It's a one-game stop at home for the Blackhawks, who earned a 5-2 win over Boston on Thursday. In a rare feat, Chicago scored four goals on their only four shots of the third period to turn a 1-1 tie through 40 minutes into a convincing win.
Winnipeg won't hold a formal morning skate ahead of tonight's game, so morning skate will be the best indicator of any line-up changes.
--Mitchell Clinton, WinnipegJets.com
