[Big T]

January 23rd, 1983


Winnipeg Jets (28-22-3) at Montreal Canadiens (30-20-3)

The Habs play their final home game before the trade deadline, hosting the Jets. Montreal's LD Ashton Miller will be making his NHL debut tonight. He is expected to play on the 3rd pairing with veteran Clint Arrington. Montreal's LW Batsaikhany Vanoosten has struggled of late. The 29 year old has gone 14 games without a goal, he has had only 5 points during those 14 games. On the season Vanoosten has 7 goals and 18 points in 51 games.

The Jets currently sit 7th in the Western Conference with 59 points, 25 behind the West leading Oilers. The Jets do put a lot of pucks on the net averaging 31 shots per game or 11th in the NHL. But the Jets do struggle on the PP, ranking 24th in the NHL with a 12.5% success rate.

LW Will Newby leads the Jets with 24 assists and leads with 37 points including 13 goals in 53 games. The 34 year old 2-time All-Star is a goalscorer with great skill in getting open and getting into the grille of the goalies. In 212 career games, all with the Jets he has 80 goals and 179 points with 128 PIMs and a +32 rating.

C George Sinclair is 2nd with 35 points and leads the Jets with 17 goals in 53 games. The 32 year old offensive forward is a 2-time All-Star with great offensive read skills. In his 3rd season with the Jets, he has 62 goals and 184 points with 154 PIMs and a +32 rating in 217 career NHL games.

RW Ken Karakas is 3rd on the Jets with 34 points including 15 goals in 53 games. The 32 year old offensive player combines shooting accuracy and acceleration to give opponents fits. In his 3rd season as a Jet, he has 60 goals with 161 points and 130 PIMs with a +45 rating in 216 career NHL games.

The Jets will start G Clifton Drake, he has 5 wins in 10 starts with a .910 save %. Montreal starts G Mike Blackshear who has 25 wins in 43 starts with a .897 save %.

The Jets get on the board with a SH goal at 13:28. RD Vernon Morgan scores his 5th of the season to make it 1-0. Winnipeg makes it 2-0 at 17:45 when C Julien Groulx gets his 14th of the year on the PP. The period ends with the Jets outshooting the Habs 16 to 12.

The shots in the 2nd were 10 to 7 Montreal with the Jets now 1 for 4 on the PP and Montreal 0 for 4 including giving up the SH goal.

Winnipeg goes up 3-0 at 6:10 of the 3rd when RW Ken Karakas gets his 16th of the season on the PP. Montreal cannot solve G Clifton Drake out shooting the Jets in the 3rd 15 to 12. Winnipeg was 2 for 5 on the PP and Montreal was 0 for 7.

Winnipeg's G Clifton Drake was named the 1st star with 37 saves tonight. The 31 year old Drake now has 5 wins, a 2.23 GAA and .921 save % with his 1st SO of the year. Drake is in his 1st season in the NHL after playing 45 career AHL games.

Winnipeg 3 Montreal 0

PER	TEAM	GOAL	#	ASSIST	ASSIST
1st	WPG	Vernon Morgan (SH)	5	Frank Altman
1st	WPG	Julien Groulx (PP)	14	Frank Altman
2nd		No Scoring
3rd	WPG	Ken Karakas (PP)	16	Julien Groulx	Will Newby

MAJOR PENALTY's
PER	TEAM	PLAYER	MIN	PENALTY
2nd	WPG	Devon Fone	5	Fighting
2nd	MTL	Dave Wright	5	Fighting

TEAM	GOALIE	SA	GA
WPG	Clifton Drake	37	0
MTL	Mike Blackshear	35	3

Around the league................


Pittsburgh Penguins C Daniel McCauley had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Panthers. The 34 year old McCauley now has 20 goals and 48 points in 49 games. In his 3rd season with the Penguins he has 82 goals with 187 points with 121 PIMs and a +17 rating in 210 career NHL games.

Detroit Red Wings C Aaron Swanson had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over the Predators. The 27 year old Swanson now has 26 goals and 57 points in 57 games. The 2-time All-Star has played 3 seasons with the Red Wings, in 201 career NHL games he has 70 goals for 199 points with 202 PIMs and a +23 rating.

Pittsburgh Penguins RW Gary Fox had 2 goals in a 3-1 win over the Avalanche. The 26 year old Fox has 23 goals and 50 points in 54 games. In 211 career NHL games with the Kings and Penguins he has 56 goals for 129 points with 150 PIMs and a +1 rating.