Canucks Game Night: Rival PK is not doing well in the Jets test

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JETS WINNIPEG

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(9-3-3, 1st in NL Central – before Thursday’s game at Edmonton)

at VANCOUVER CANUCKS

(5-10-2, seventh in the Pacific Division)

7 p.m., Rogers Arena.

TV: Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM.

WHY SEE

The Canucks played another “OK” game on Wednesday, but again couldn’t find a win. Can they finally kill more than half of their penalties? They’re so bad on penalties that they’re actually getting historic – the current 10-game skein is the second-worst stretch in team history, having killed just 52.5 percent of their penalties. The Winnipeg PK is bad too. Maybe this is the night everything changes for Vancouver?

POINT LEADERS

JETS (before Thursday’s game)

1. Kyle Connor GP 15 G 12 A 8 PTS 20 (+8)

2. Andrew Copp GP 15 G 5 A 11 PTS 16 (+11)

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3. Pierre-Luc Dubois GP 15 G 9 A 6 PTS 15 (+7)

CANUCKS

1. JT Miller GP 17 G 7 A 11 PTS 16 (+2)

2. Quinn Hughes GP 16 G 2 A 12 PTS 13 (+5)

3. Conor Garland GP 17 G 4 A 9 PTS 12 (+1)

SPECIAL TEAMS

JETS: PP 23.8% (9th) PK 64.3% (31st)

CANUCKS: PP 14.5% (27º) PK 60.3% (32º)

THREE THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITION

• That goalkeeper: Connor Hellebuyck is on fire. He has posted a .943 save percentage in his last four starts. And he’s undefeated in his last nine starts. And even if he doesn’t play (the Jets play the Oilers in Edmonton on Thursday), backup Eric Comrie isn’t far behind, either.

• Luxury defense: The Jets added Nate Schmidt and Brendan Dillon to their blue line this season and the team is playing very, very well because of them. During their recent four-game home stint, not a single Jets defense was below 52 percent of their expected goal quota, meaning the Jets were taking more quality shots than their opponents. Schmidt, by the way, has 11 points from 15 games and seems rejuvenated after a difficult year in Vancouver.

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• Rest : The Jets are playing their second straight night after facing the Pacific Division-leading Oilers on Thursday. It will surely be a meeting on the track. It’s not that far of a trip from Edmonton to Vancouver and they go back an hour just from the time zone change, but it’s never easy being the traveling team in this scenario, especially when you’re playing a team like the Canucks who were off the day. previous.

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