Coming off Sunday’s 3-2 win over Detroit, the Winnipeg Jets head into the second half of a back-to-back against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, October 5th, in Pittsburgh. 27-year-old netminder Clay Stevenson is confirmed to start at PPG Paints Arena and will make his Jets debut since being claimed off waivers from the Washington Capitals. Stevenson returns to the building where he made his NHL debut on April 17, 2025, when Washington fell 5-2 to Pittsburgh.

Jets head coach Scott Arniel has indicated that the busy early schedule will mean work for both Stevenson and Stuart Skinner. With five games in the first eight days, he has also left open the possibility of adjustments among the skaters, meaning the projected combinations below remain subject to change.

Winnipeg earned Sunday’s win despite being outshot 35–27. Pittsburgh last played Saturday, October 3, beating Montreal 6–5 in overtime with a 30–25 advantage in shots. Sergei Murashov is the Penguins’ confirmed starter.

Kyle Connor supplied two goals and an assist against Detroit, but his shooting volume is just as notable: 14 shots on goal and 25 shot attempts through Winnipeg’s first two games. That gives the Jets a high-volume finisher to lean on as they try to generate offence on consecutive nights.

Cole Perfetti is the player to watch for increased opportunity alongside Connor and Mark Scheifele. His usage on the top line has come with early production: a goal and two assists against Detroit, bringing him to four points through two games.

For Pittsburgh, Evgeni Malkin has scored in each of the first two games of the season, providing an early scoring storyline at age 40. Tommy Novak is coming off a two-goal performance against Montreal, including the overtime winner just 93 seconds into the extra period. Both deserve attention based on recent production rather than any assumed change in their workload.

The Penguins also have two defencemen with substantial production against Winnipeg. Erik Karlsson has 31 points, including five goals, in 36 career meetings with the Jets. Kris Letang has 30 points, including six goals, against Winnipeg. Those histories give the Jets another reason to pay attention to Pittsburgh’s blue line, not just its forwards.

Winnipeg’s skater combinations are projected, with Stevenson confirmed in goal.

Connor – Scheifele – Perfetti
Rosén – Björck – Vilardi
Lambert – Lowry – Barron
Niederreiter – Namestnikov – Iafallo

Morrissey – DeMelo
Pionk – Samberg
Ferraro – Bauer

Clay Stevenson

Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT (5:30 p.m. MDT) at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.