Another chance to end the losing streak: Winnipeg Jets vs. Ottawa Senators Game Day

Perhaps an appearance on Hockey Night in Canada will give the Jets everything they need to end this losing streak. Tonight the Jets play their second game of 2026 at the Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa. The Jets suffered their 8th loss in a row against the Maple Leafs on Thursday evening. Although the Jets finally found some goals (mostly from the top line), the goalies and defense just weren’t there and they lost 6-5. The host Senators are currently on a solid 6-3-1 mark in their last ten games as they remain competitive in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Jets are now 1-6-3 in their last 10 games and remain at the very bottom of the NHL standings.

The still 32nd overall 15-20-4 Winnipeg Jets and the 21st overall 19-15-5 Senators will battle each other this Saturday night in search of the important two points. The Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators have played each other once this regular season: a 3-2 victory for the Senators in Winnipeg on December 15. After tonight the season series is over as these two Canadian teams don’t meet until next season. The Jets are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games against the Senators, with most games ending with a one- or two-goal win/loss.

The injury report for the Winnipeg Jets remains empty. There have been a few close calls over the last few games, but the team is still fully healthy. The Senators remain largely injury-free, with two players recently added to their injury report. Lars Eller has a foot injury that will keep him out of the lineup for about another week. Linus Ullmark is out of the lineup for personal reasons and is expected to return to the team in the coming week.

Jets projected lineup

Connor–Scheifele–Vilardi

Perfetti – Toews – Iafallo

Barron–Lowry–Niederreiter

Koepke–Nazmetnikov–Pearson

Morrissey-Pionk

Samberg-DeMelo

Stanley Miller

Hellebuyck

Comrie

The unconfirmed starting goalkeeper is Connor Hellebuyck, who is back in goal after Eric Comrie started the second game of a back-to-back on Thursday night. After Hellebuyck’s most recent start, he now has a record of 9-10-3 with a GAA of 2.51 and an SV% of .907. The rest of the Jets lineup appears largely unchanged, with the exception of Colin Miller returning to the lineup as Stanley’s defensive partner on the third pairing. As usual, some lineup changes may be announced by the Jets prior to the game, so keep an eye on the Jets official X/Twitter account for any late additions or changes to the lineup before the puck drops.

Senators projected lineup

Greig – Stutzle – Zetterlund

Tkachuk–Cozens–Batherson

Amadio–Pinto–Giroux

Cousins ​​– Halliday – Platform

Sanderson – Tooth

Chabot-Jensen

Cleave – Spence

A sailor

Shepherd

The Senators lineup is almost completely healthy and features several young talents with a few veterans in the mix. Looking at the Senators player stats through 39 games, Tim Stutzle leads the way with 42 points in 39 games. Leevi Merilainen is the unconfirmed starting goalkeeper. Merilainen hasn’t had an ideal season so far, but he is now the Senators’ starting goalie until Ullmark returns. Merilainen has a record of 5-7-0 with a 3.46 GAA, 0 shutouts and an .871 SV%.

Jets player to watch: Jonathan Toews

Since being moved back to the second line, Jonathan Toews hasn’t been able to score like the Jets had hoped when they signed him. In 39 games, Toews has just 3 goals and 9 assists for 12 points. Jets fans knew going into the season that it would take a while for him to return to form after a two-season absence, but now, almost halfway through the season, it’s time to see more results. Toews continues to move through the lineup, but things aren’t clicking yet when it comes to getting on the scoresheet. Toews remains extremely valuable in faceoffs and other defensive situations. That’s why he remains a player to watch who can play a big role in getting the Jets some wins.

Senators player to watch: Tim Stutzle

Tim Stutzle continues to shine in his sixth full season in the NHL. The 23-year-old German forward leads the Senators with 42 points in 39 games and 5 points in his last 5 games. Stutzle controls the puck most of the time on a Senators power play, and he is one of those players you have to keep an eye on at all times. Without Stutzle, this Senators team would look very different, which shows how important he is as a player to this franchise. Look for Stutzle to try to get on the scoresheet early in tonight’s game.

The Puck Drop in Ottawa is scheduled for just after 6pm CST. Tonight’s game is simply another opportunity to end this eight-game losing streak, so at this point the Jets just have to do what it takes to get the win. Stay tuned here to Jets Nation for a recap of the action as the Jets look for another all-Canadian matchup on the road.

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