Montreal @ Winnipeg preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 30, 2019 ) Montreal 3, Winnipeg 1

The Winnipeg Jets got the breakout win they needed Saturday after two losses this week, and their home contest Monday against the Montreal Canadiens will give their fans a chance to salute center Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg’s captain became the franchise’s all-time points leader with a shorthanded goal and an assist in Saturday’s 6-0 rout at Minnesota, as Wheeler - who registered 17 points with Atlanta before the team moved in 2011 - surpassed Ilya Kovalchuk’s 615 point total.

“I really feel like a product of some good teams, played on some really good lines, played a lot of minutes,” Wheeler told reporters after setting the milestone, giving him seven points in his past four games and 616 points (202 goals, 414 assists) in 675 games with the franchise. While the Jets dominated Minnesota after being outscored 10-4 in home losses to Carolina and Chicago this week, the Canadiens lost for just the second time in their past seven games Saturday in a 4-3 defeat at Edmonton. Defenseman Jeff Petry scored a shorthanded goal and added two assists for Montreal, but the Canadiens gave up two goals in the first 11:51 and couldn’t get the go-ahead score after tying the game twice. “We battled back, and you’re seeing a team that never gave up, but at the end we only have ourselves to look at,” Montreal coach Claude Julien told the media postgame. “We beat ourselves.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TSN2, RDS (Montreal), TSN3 (Winnipeg)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (17-13-6): Forward Phillip Danault tied Saturday’s game at 2-2 in the second period, giving him points in seven of his past nine games with two goals and six assists in that span. Center Tomas Tatar leads Montreal with 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists), but is pointless in his past two games after scoring a goal in four consecutive contests. Goaltender Carey Price stopped 22-of-26 shots against Edmonton, but across his past seven games is 5-2-0 with a .930 save percentage.

ABOUT THE JETS (21-13-2): Defenseman Josh Morrissey recorded three assists Saturday to give him six in his past six games, and at least one in four contests in that span. Forward Patrik Laine scored his 12th and 13th goals of the season against Minnesota, and in nine games this month the 21-year-old has six goals and three assists. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had allowed 16 goals in his previous four games, but stopped all 31 shots Saturday for his 17th win of the season (one off the league lead).

OVERTIME

1. The Canadiens have surrendered a power-play goal in each of their past five games.

2. Wheeler’s short-handed goal moved him within one of Marian Hossa’s franchise record of 12, set with Atlanta from 2005-08.

3. The Jets have a better record on the road (11-6-1) than at home (10-7-1).

PREDICTION: Jets 4, Canadiens 2