A five-game homestand begins for the Winnipeg Jets tonight as they welcome the Vegas Golden Knights to Canada Life Centre for the first time this season, looking to snap a nine-game winless skid.

Winnipeg’s ninth straight loss came Saturday in Ottawa against the Senators. Adam Lowry opened the scoring with his third of the season in the first period, but Ottawa responded with three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead in the second. Kyle Connor pulled the Jets within one with his 19th of the year in the third, but a late squeaker from Claude Giroux slipped past Connor Hellebuyck to seal a 4-2 Senators win. Hellebuyck made 23 saves as Winnipeg fell to 15-21-4 on the season.

Vegas has been dealing with struggles of its own as of late, dropping five straight games, most recently a 3-2 overtime loss Sunday in Chicago against the Blackhawks. The Golden Knights held two leads thanks to Brandon Saad’s second and captain Mark Stone’s 12th, but Tyler Bertuzzi completed his hat trick with the overtime winner for Chicago. Akira Schmid stopped 17 shots as Vegas slipped to 17-11-12, though they still sit first in the Pacific Division, tied with Edmonton at 46 points.

These two Western Conference rivals will meet twice more this season, once again in Winnipeg on March 24 and April 13 in Vegas.

The Jets will be without defenceman Logan Stanley tonight after he received a one-game suspension for roughing Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.

Connor – Scheifele – Iafallo

Perfetti – Toews – Vilardi

Barron – Lowry – Niederreiter

Nyquist – Namestnikov – Pearson

Morrissey – DeMelo

Samberg – Pionk

Fleury – Schenn

Hellebuyck

Comrie

Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. CST on TSN3.