JETS (6-7-1) at COYOTES (5-7-0)
TV: 9 p.m. ET; FS-A, TSN3, NHL.TV
Jets team scope
The Winnipeg Jets are flying offensively thanks to their top line of Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine. They combined for five goals and 10 points in an 8-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, and in the past three games has 10 goals and 23 points. Laine had his second NHL hat trick Tuesday and leads the League with 11 goals in 14 games. "I think he's got a really even-keel to the upside," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "I really don't get any sense of surprise in what he's doing. For any player to come in and score the way he has and shoot the puck the way he has … I haven't seen anybody do that before." Laine, 18, is the fourth NHL player with two hat tricks before his 19th birthday, joining Trevor Linden, Jack Hamilton and Dale Hawerchuk, according to the Winnipeg Sun. Scheifele has a League-best 18 points. "He has a real desire to be a top player," said Arizona Coyotes coach Dave Tippett, who was an assistant coach when Scheifele played for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey 2016. "He wanted to be in that top group with [Auston] Matthews and [Connor] McDavid and his work ethic is very strong."
Coyotes team scope
Since ending their five-game losing streak, the Arizona Coyotes are 4-2-0, and have done it without their top goaltender (Mike Smith, knee), top center (Martin Hanzal, lower body) and a top-four defenseman (Michael Stone, upper body). None of them will play Thursday. Tippett said Stone is close to returning and Smith, who is practicing, could play sometime next week. Hanzal is expected to return to the ice Friday. Defenseman Anthony DeAngelo scored in his NHL debut, a 4-2 win at the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. He is the 10th Coyotes player to score in his first game, joining a group that includes teammates Max Domi, Connor Murphy and Tobias Rieder. DeAngelo will remain in the lineup as the Coyotes go for their fourth win in five games at Gila River Arena. Louis Domingue will start in goal for the 10th time in 11 games since Smith was injured. Domi scored his first goal of the season against the Avalanche, and also had two assists. "We're coming off one of our better games of the year," Tippett said. "We played a full 60 minutes."
Jets projected lineup
Nikolaj Ehlers -- Mark Scheifele -- Patrik Laine
Kyle Connor -- Nic Petan -- Blake Wheeler
Andrew Copp -- Adam Lowry -- Brandon Tanev
Marko Dano -- Alexander Burmistrov -- Chris Thorburn
Josh Morrissey -- Dustin Byfuglien
Connor Hellebuyck
Scratched: Mark Stuart, Jacob Trouba
Injured: Joel Armia (lower body), Bryan Little (lower body) Shawn Matthias (lower body), Mathieu Perreault (upper body), Drew Stafford (upper body)
Coyotes projected lineup
Jamie McGinn -- Jordan Martinook -- Radim Vrbata
Max Domi -- Christian Dvorak -- Anthony Duclair
Tobias Rieder -- Brad Richardson -- Shane Doan
Lawson Crouse -- Laurent Dauphin -- Ryan White
Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Connor Murphy
Alex Goligoski -- Anthony DeAngelo
Jakob Chychrun -- Luke Schenn
Louis Domingue
Justin Peters
Scratched: Kevin Connauton. Dylan Strome
Injured: Martin Hanzal (lower body), Mike Smith (knee), Michael Stone (upper body)
Status report
Trouba, who missed all of training camp and the first 13 games of the season before agreeing to a two-year contract Nov. 7, will be a scratch and has yet to make his season debut. Hellebuyck will make his fourth straight start in goal. … After he playing against the Avalanche, the Coyotes returned center Tyler Gaudet to Tucson of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. Dauphin will take his place on the fourth line between Crouse and White.
Who's hot
Laine is the first rookie to score 11 goals in his first 14 NHL since Teemu Selanne in 1992-93, when he set the NHL rookie record with 76. … Domi has 20 points in the past 20 home games.
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