On Tuesday, the Winnipeg Jets aim to get back on track after losing four of their last six games.

They finally return home after a grueling six-game road trip and are coming off a gritty shootout victory on Saturday against the Calgary Flames, a game in which they finally saw several players step up. Tanner Pearson snapped his 13-game point drought with a goal, and Cole Perfetti scored for the first time this season after returning from injury.

Winnipeg will try to carry that momentum into a home matchup with a Blue Jackets team that narrowly missed the playoffs last year and has stayed hot lately, winning three of its last four with notable victories over the Oilers, Canadiens, and the surging Kraken. Tuesday marks the 37th all-time meeting between the Jets and Blue Jackets, with the series perfectly split at 18 wins each, making this matchup a meaningful swing game for both clubs.

Healthy Jets Send Lambert, Chibrikov, Ford to AHL Healthy Jets roster welcomes back forwards as Lambert, Chibrikov, and Ford head to the AHL for more ice time.

Lineup Storylines

The Jets lineup is starting to get continually healthier as Gustav Nyquist and Dylan Samberg return to the lineup, giving the team the closest full lineup so far this season. Depth production is starting to heat up with the second unit of Vladislav Namestnikov, Jonathan Toews and Cole Perfetti finally starting to see minutes together and performing well with it while the dynamic duo of Nino Niederreiter and Adam Lowry are back in action with Alex Iafallo working very well on their wing with two goals and an assist over their last three games. 

Winnipeg is also expected to get back early season breakout Morgan Barron, who started the season off tallying three goals and two assists in his first four games. Four of those five points came at even strength, with one shorthanded goal, including a clutch game-winner. However, Barron’s production has slowed, registering just one assist over his last eight games, a slump partially attributed to lingering injury issues. Now fully healthy, the Halifax native could pick up where he left off. 

For the Blue Jackets, the second forward unit has been their most lethal headlined by young rising stars like Kirill Marchenko and Dmirti Voronkov along with center Adam Fantilli, who have a combined 22 goals which is almost 40 per cent of the team's production with Columbus scoring 57 goals this season. This isn't even their top forward line although top liners in Sean Monahan and Kent Johnson have been ice cold to start the season along with trade candidate Yegor Chinakhov, who was recently involved in trade rumors and has been since moved to the team's top line. 

If this unit gets going, it could mean trouble for the Jets as their once league-best defense for two straight seasons now sits at eighth and has been slumping lately with 15 goals allowed over their last four games. It'll be challenging to win games when the strength of the team is struggling but they are returning home and could bounce back after getting some much needed rest. 

NHL Insider Speaks On Mark Schefiele's "Wild" Game Misconduct Saturday An overtime frustration led to a surprising game misconduct as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman breaks down Scheifele's bizarre ejection and the broadcast's hot mic moment.

Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)

WPG ML (-182) | CBJ ML (+150)

WPG -1.5 (+125) | CBJ +1.5 (-154)

O/U 6.5 Goals 

The Jets have taken three of their last four meetings with the Blue Jackets, though Columbus holds the slight upper hand over the last nine matchups with five wins. These teams consistently play low-scoring, defensive battles, staying under seven total goals in six of their last eight contests, including three straight unders in Winnipeg.

This matchup offers a strong bounce-back opportunity for a Winnipeg defense that has struggled recently, especially against the Blue Jackets, the Jets have outscored them 18–7 over their last four meetings. If offense does materialize, as expected to some degree, look for winger Cole Perfetti to be a key contributor. After scoring on Saturday, Perfetti has registered points in two of his last three games and has historically produced against the Blue Jackets, posting two goals and two assists across five career matchups.

His new center in Jonathan Toews has also excelled against Columbus, tallying six points over his last six games versus the Blue Jackets. On the Columbus side, Marchenko enters as the team’s hottest player, leading the roster with 22 points in 19 games and notching points in two straight meetings with Winnipeg.

Defensive Lapses from Jets' Stars Highlight Recent Collapse Stars' offensive forwards falter defensively, fueling Winnipeg's losing streak. Their top unit must rediscover responsible play to reverse the collapse.

Goalie Matchup

Winnipeg: Eric Comrie (Season: 3-1-0 record, 2.75 GAA, .908 SV% | VS CBJ: 3-1-0 record, 3.03 GAA, .903 SV% in four games)

Columbus: Elvis Merzlikins (Season: 4-3-0 record, 3.14 GAA, .908 SV% | VS WPG: 3-3-1 record, 3.46 GAA, .894 SV% in seven games)

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