The Winnipeg Jets look to build off a domiant victory in Connor Hellebuyck's return when facing the Ottawa Senators in an all-Canadian matchup.
The Winnipeg Jets aim to carry momentum from a commanding 5–1 win over the red-hot Washington Capitals into another home contest as they open the week against the struggling Ottawa Senators, who have lost six of their past eight games.
Winnipeg received a massive boost when it was announced that star goaltender and reigning league MVP Connor Hellebuyck would return a week ahead of schedule, injecting new life into the Jets’ playoff push. In his absence, Winnipeg went 3-8-1, underscoring just how vital Hellebuyck is to the team’s success. He is expected to start again against Ottawa, who are hoping for a similar lift with captain Brady Tkachuk recently returning to the lineup.
Lineup Storylines
With their elite netminder back between the pipes, the Jets looked like a completely different team Saturday, as several players rebounded in a big way. Veteran forward Alex Iafallo has rediscovered his scoring touch since joining the top line, scoring in each of his first two games there and adding an assist on Morgan Barron’s goal in Saturday’s victory.
Barron, who opened the season on a torrid pace, appears to be finding that form again with goals in back-to-back games. Meanwhile, Gabe Vilardi continues to produce at an elite level, extending his hot streak to 10 goals and five assists for 15 points over his last 12 games, numbers that stack up with some of the league’s top performers during that span.
After spending much of the season leaning heavily on Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele for offense, Winnipeg is finally finding scoring balance throughout the lineup. With Hellebuyck stabilizing the back end and secondary scoring emerging, the Jets look poised to make a serious push for a playoff spot.
Line adjustments paid dividends Saturday, as the Adam Lowry line featuring Iafallo and Barron combined for two goals. Vilardi returned to the top unit, while the second and fourth lines were given more opportunity to build chemistry. Vladislav Namestnikov continues to skate with Cole Perfetti and Nino Niederreiter, a line looking to build on the emotion and momentum of Saturday’s win, which came on the night of Niederreiter’s 1,000th NHL game.
At the bottom of the lineup, Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist remain in more limited roles as they search for consistency, hoping to spark something alongside depth forward Cole Koepke.
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Ottawa, meanwhile, is attempting to halt its slide as the recent downturn has pushed the Senators six points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The return of Brady Tkachuk has been a bright spot, as the captain rejoined the lineup in late November and has made an immediate impact with 10 points in 11 games this season. His offensive presence is badly needed, as Ottawa has averaged just 2.88 goals per game during its eight-game skid, while allowing 3.50 goals per game over that stretch.
The Senators have typically found more offense on the road, ranking seventh in the league with 3.29 goals per road game, and they’ve begun to show signs of life with eight goals over their last three contests. However, they face a significant challenge against a Jets team rejuvenated by Hellebuyck’s return, which has given Winnipeg’s defensive core a much-needed jolt of confidence and stability.
Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)
WPG ML (-125) | OTT ML (+105)
WPG -1.5 (+185) | OTT +1.5 (-227)
O/U 6.0 Goals
This will be the the 84th meeting between the two clubs with the Jets recently taking over this matchup with six wins over their last seven games. These two used to have a history of high-scoring affairs but have seen that trend turned on it's head with five or fewer goals in three of their last four matchups. Winnipeg's elite backend that has finished as the league's best in each of the last two seasons has limited Ottawa to two or fewer goals in five of their last six matchups with the fiery Jets offense being the source of games going over the six goal mark.
Likely backing the case for the over in this one is the red hot Gabe Vilardi, who has been among the league's hottest players as of late as we mentioned plus has points in two straight over the Senators. Most of the attention on Ottawa falls on Tkachuk as he recently returned from injury but his center in Tim Stutzle should be the Jets focus in this one as he has dominated this matchup in the past with nine points over his last eight games against Winnipeg and will enter Monday on a three-game multi-point streak.
Goalie Matchup
Winnipeg: Connor Hellebuyck (Season: 9-6-0 record, 2.41 GAA, .916 SV% | VS OTT: 13-5-0 record, 2.28 GAA, .922 SV% in 18 games)
Ottawa: Linus Ullmark (Season: 11-8-4 record, 3.05 GAA, .877 SV% | VS WPG: 2-1-0 record, 2.34 GAA, .937 SV% in three games)
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