Winnipeg Jets vs Ottawa Senators Preview: Odds, Lineups, TV, More

The Winnipeg Jets are in Ottawa tonight as they look to end their six-game losing streak against the Senators. Puck drop for tonight’s game is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. central.

The Jets last played on Friday against Montreal where they squandered a 3-1 lead eventually losing to the Canadiens 5-3. You can read our sites’ summary about the game here.

In sports, a true must-win game really only happens either in a championship or when a team is facing elimination from the playoffs. Tonight’s game for the Jets would be characterized as a pretty-darn-close to a much win game.

The Winnipeg Jets are now only two points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens in the race for third place in the North division.

It seems like a lifetime ago when the Jets were challenging for first in the North division, and experts were predicting that the road out of the North division went through Winnipeg. At this point, it looks like the Jets may end up be fortunate to even hang on to the final playoff spot in the North.

The Senators are not going away easily in the North division and will make it very difficult for the Jets to end their losing skid.

Odds

The Jets are favored to win this matchup against the Senators. That makes sense given the standings and talent discrepancy between the two teams. However, I cannot say that I have the same level of confidence in the Jets as the oddsmakers seem to based on the last six games.

Where you can Find the Game

TV: TSN3, TSN5, RDS2

Radio: 680 CJOB

Livestream: TSN.ca, TSN app

Projected Lineups

The Jets players and Coach Paul Maurice are saying all the right things about this being a test of character and not a time to panic. However, at some point results have to matter, and the team must start winning games, or this will be a very short playoffs for the Jets.

The Jets’ top-six forwards are struggling mightily to generate any offense during this losing streak. If you ever wondered who would be the player the Jets could least afford to lose due to injury, we now have our answer – Nikolaj Ehlers.

Relying on Trevor Lewis to contribute two thirds of the goals Friday in Montreal is not a recipe for winning in the NHL. I said this last preview post and it still stands – Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Paul Stastny, and Kyle Connor have to start contributing offensively, or the Jets are done.

Adam Lowry may return to the lineup, which would be a huge boost. Although he does not provide much offense, his defensive presence and toughness is something the Jets lack when he is out of the lineup. Plus, it allows one of the forwards to shift back into the top six, hopefully as a catalyst to more offense.

Putting on my head coach hat I would suggest giving Connor Hellebuyck the night off for Laurent Brossoit and swapping out Jordie Benn for Logan Stanley. Paul Maurice said yesterday that Laurent Brossoit will start tonight’s game.

I am a Paul Maurice booster and think he has done a good job coaching this franchise. However, if the Jets do not turn this streak around, and limp into the playoffs only to get quickly eliminated, you have to really wonder whether it might be time for a new voice for the team for next year.

The Jets are projected to lineup like this:

Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler
Stastny-Dubois-Perreault
Copp-Lowry*-Appleton
Harkins-Thompson-Lewis

Morrissey-Poolman
Forbort-Pionk
Benn-DeMelo

Brossoit (Hellebuyck)

*- Gametime decision

The Senators lost in overtime to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night 3-2. Before that game, they had won five in a row beating Vancouver four times and Calgary once.

The Senators have an abundance of young, exciting talent and are a difficult team to play against. If I was a Senators fan I would be thrilled about the future for this team. The team has picked a perfect time to start playing with increased confidence and tenacity as they can hopefully carry that into next season.

Goaltenders Anton Forsberg and Matt Murray remain out with injuries, leaving the goaltending duties to Marcus Hogberg and Filip Gustavsson.

The Senators are expected to lineup like this:

Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson
Stutzle-White-Dadonov
Dzingle-Tierney-Brown
Amadio-Pinto-Paul

Chabot-Zaitsev
Brannstrom-Zub
Mete-Brown

Hogberg (Gustavsson)

Winnipeg Jets Fans: Will the Winnipeg Jets win tonight’s game? Leave your comments below!

*All Stats Provided by the NHL*