The Winnipeg Jets begin a stretch of 22 games in 44 days to close out the NHL regular season schedule with a 7pm ct face off tonight at MTS Centre against the Phoenix Coyotes. Michael Floyd Jersey . The (28-26-6) Jets are three points behind Vancouver for a Western Conference Wild Card playoff spot following the Canucks 1-0 win over St. Louis last night. Ondrej Pavelec will start in goal. Evander Kane and Jim Slater return to action.? Kane has missed the last six games while Slater last played October 18. Jets Projected Lines: Ladd-Little-Frolik Kane-Scheifele-Wheeler Setoguchi-Jokinen-Byfuglien Thorburn-Slater-Wright Enstrom-Bogosian Stuart-Trouba Pardy-Ellerby Andrew Ladd is on a five game point streak (two goals and 4 assists). Tonight is the second of three regular season games between these teams. ?Winnipeg were 5-1 winners January 13th when Paul Maurice made his debut as Jets Head Coach.? The lone contest between these teams in Phoenix is April 1st. Under Maurice, the Jets record is 9-3-1. Only Toronto at 11-2-1 have had a better winning percentage since the Jets coaching change. The (27-21-10) Coyotes are one point behind Vancouver for a Western Conference Wild Card playoff spot. ?Phoenix has three games in hand on the Canucks and two games in hand on the Jets. Mike Smith will start in goal. Coyotes Projected Lines: Korpikoski-Vermette-Boedker Klnkhammer-Hanzal-Vrbata McMillan-Ribeiro-Doan Chipchura-Halpern-Moss Ekman Larsson-Michalek Yandle-Morris Schlemko-Stone Antoine Vermette had the hot hand for Phoenix going into the Olympic break with eight goals and five assists in his last 10 games. Jay Feely Jersey . Redmann and Saxton lost 23-21, 17-21, 15-11 to Marcio Araujo and Ricardo Alex Costa Santos, the Olympic silver medallists but the Canadian duo still managed to advance. Redmann and Saxton finished the round robin with a 1-2 record for third place in group C but moved on by being among the eight best third-place finishers. Daryl Washington Jersey . -- Free-agent left-hander Scott Kazmir agreed to terms on a $22 million, two-year contract with the Oakland Athletics on Monday, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said.JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Edoardo Molinari was in a four-way tie for the first-round lead at the European Tours Joburg Open with his 7-under-par 64 on Thursday. The Italian, chasing a British Open place as well as his first title in four years, was joined by Scottish pair Alastair Forsyth and Craig Lee and South African Justin Walters. A 2010 Ryder Cup winner, Molinari opened with three straight birdies at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington and collected eight in all on the par-71 West Course. "The front nine was probably as good as Ive played in a long time," he said. Lee had maybe the most impressive start with his 7-under 65 on the tougher par-72 East Course, with eight birdies and just one bogey on No. 17. "Its really hard to figure out where you are in the field with two golf courses, and with the East being slightly tougher I feel like Im in a good position," Lee said. Forsyth and Walters both carded 64s on the West, with Forsyth not dropping a shot all day. They led by one shot. Players play one round on the East and West courses before finishing on the East over the weekend. The tournament is also a qualifying event for the British Open in JJuly and offers places to the three highest-placed finishers in the top 10 not already exempt. Calais Campbell Jersey. None of the top 10 on Thursday have qualified for the Open. Johannesburg defending champion Richard Sterne opened with a 5-under 67 on the East, but couldnt fully capitalize on an eagle three on his first hole, as he sat in a tie for 13th. Sterne has qualified for the British Open, as has former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, who managed a 69 on the East. Molinari has battled through fitness problems since his 2010 Ryder Cup debut and hasnt won since that year, but looked solid with five birdies and a single dropped shot on his opening nine. He made another three birdies coming in. Chasing the leading pack are eight players on 6 under, including South Africas Hennie Otto, who tied for second in the season-opening South African Open in November. South Koreas Jin Jeong, who won his maiden tour title at the Perth International last year, is also in contention after a 65. The Joburg Open is the sixth tournament out of 10 on the early European Tour schedule to be played in South Africa. There will be a seventh next weekend with the Africa Open. ' ' '
