Jets-Senators Preview

The Winnipeg Jets got back into the win column on their road trip by using their third-period dominance for a late deciding goal.

The Jets will try to keep heading in the right direction Thursday night by adding to the Ottawa Senators' home woes.

Winnipeg endured a 5-1 drubbing to Montreal in the start to the Canadian portion of its four-game trip Sunday. After getting a couple days to rest, the Jets rebounded with a 4-2 win over Toronto on Wednesday.

Alex Burmistrov came out of the penalty box to tally the go-ahead goal with 2:05 remaining, and Winnipeg (8-4-1) outshot the Maple Leafs 14-5 in the final period.

"It wasn't classic or pretty, but I'm happy with the way we mentally processed that game," coach Paul Maurice said. "It was a grind. We threw some big, big hits. We didn't get out of position too often. We didn't connect on a lot of plays but we didn't allow too many plays to be connected against us."

The Jets will try to wrap up their trek with a winning record and earn their fourth victory in five games Thursday. They'll take on an Ottawa team that's won three of four but is also 1-3-2 at home.

The Senators (6-4-2) have given up at least four goals in each of the last four games there and suffered a 5-3 loss to Detroit on Saturday. Craig Anderson gave up all five goals in a span of 32:40.

Anderson followed with a 36-save performance in 2-1 overtime victory in Montreal on Tuesday. Kyle Turris scored 34 seconds into the extra period to give Ottawa its first win in the new 3-on-3 extra period.

The Senators had gone to shootouts in each of their previous four overtime games, winning two.

"This was one of our best games of the year," Turris said. "To come into this building against a team that's been so hot lately, it's a big one for us.

"We haven't been very good at home but Thursday (against Winnipeg) will be a good opportunity to keep this going."

Winnipeg, 5-2-0 away from home, won 2-1 in a six-round shootout in its lone visit to Ottawa last season Nov. 8. Anderson made 36 saves in regulation and overtime while Ondrej Pavelec had 37.

The Jets might put Michael Hutchinson in net for this game with Pavelec starting in Toronto. Hutchinson was pulled in his only start against the Senators on March 4 after giving up three goals on 17 shots in 31:54.

Before the shootout win last November, Pavelec was 0-6-0 with a 4.81 goals-against average in his prior six starts versus Ottawa.

Anderson is expected to start for the Senators and is 4-0-1 with a 2.36 GAA in his last five matchups.

Milan Michalek has eight goals and five assists in his past 10 games against Winnipeg. Turris has five goals and three assists in his last eight.

Dustin Byfuglien has six goals and seven assists in his past 13 matchups with the Senators.

Ottawa's co-leading scorer Mark Stone will wrap up his two-game suspension for his check to Detroit forward Landon Ferraro's head Saturday.