(SportsNetwork.com) - The Winnipeg Jets hope to keep their point streak intact going into the All-Star break as they play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night at MTC Centre.
The Jets have won a season-high four straight games and are 5-0-1 in their past six thanks to Sunday's 4-3 shootout win over the Arizona Coyotes. Winnipeg's run has it two points behind the third-place Chicago Blackhawks in the Central Division.
Bryan Little helped to key Sunday's win as he scored in regulation and then had the lone marker in the shootout to help Winnipeg pick up a win despite blowing a late two-goal lead.
Little began the third round by beating Mike Smith high to the glove side and under the crossbar. Shane Doan could have kept the game going, but shot into the pads of Winnipeg's Ondrej Pavelec to end the contest.
"We didn't make it easy on ourselves," Little said. "You know that's an area we've been pretty good at this year, holding leads and playing good third periods. But tonight we let it slip a bit. It still feels good to get both points."
Dustin Byfuglien and Michael Frolik scored in regulation for the Jets and Pavelec ended with 28 saves. Byfuglien has three goals and three assists over the four-game winning streak and the defenseman was named the NHL's First Star for the week on Monday.
Winnipeg has not won five straight since April 6-18, 2013.
The Jets are not expected to have forward Mathieu Perreault in the lineup again tonight after he suffered a fractured arm following a cross-check from Chicago forward Dan Carcillo on Friday. Carcillo was suspended six games for his actions.
However, blueliner Jacob Trouba is on the verge of returning from a lower-body injury that has sidelined him for the past 16 games. Trouba practiced at defense on Tuesday and will return to game action when he is medically cleared, which could happen as early as today.
Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice may continue his goaltender rotation tonight and go with Michael Hutchinson, who beat the Blue Jackets the only time he faced them. That came in a 4-2 win on Nov. 25 in Columbus, with Hutchinson making 32 saves.
Evander Kane had a pair of goals and Little also tallied, while Ryan Johansen had a goal for Columbus and Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves in the loss.
The Jets beat the Blue Jackets for only the second time in the past nine meetings and Columbus has won four straight on the road in this series.
Bobrovsky figures to start tonight and is just 1-3-1 versus the Jets with a 3.90 goals against average and .881 save percentage in six meetings.
He made 25 saves in a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Monday, including a stop of Zach Parise's penalty-shot attempt in the second period.
James Wisniewski had a key goal and also assisted on tallies by Scott Hartnell and Brandon Dubinsky as the Blue Jackets have picked up two straight wins on the road following a four-game slide overall.
"It seems like when we stick with it, we get results," said Dubinsky. "We've got to find a way to keep climbing."
Johansen, meanwhile, saw his club-record 13-game point streak come to an end despite the win. He had eight goals and 16 points over the run.
The Blue Jackets play the last of three straight on the road and return home on Tuesday to face the Washington Capitals. That will come after Columbus hosts this weekend's All-Star Game festivities.
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