The Winnipeg Jets, with a record of 44-23-6, will take on the Ottawa Senators, who stand at 32-36-4, in an evening matchup at Canada Life Centre on Saturday.
This game marks the Jets’ third consecutive home game, having lost the first two matches. With five consecutive losses, the Jets are in desperate need of a win against their Canadian counterparts.
Gabe Vilardi, a key winger on the top line, returns to the lineup after a prolonged absence due to injury, notably an enlarged spleen. He will rejoin Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor on the top line and also feature on the top power play unit alongside Scheifele, Connor, Josh Morrissey, and Sean Monahan.
The Senators enter the game riding a four-game winning streak, while the Jets aim to secure their first victory in six games.
In his 500th NHL game, Connor Hellebuyck will start in goal for the Jets.
Expected line combinations for the Winnipeg Jets against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, March 30:
Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
Ehlers-Monahan-Toffoli
Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton
Barron-Namestnikov-Iafallo
Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
Stanley-Schmidt
Hellebuyck
Healthy scratches: Perfetti, Samberg, Gustafsson, Kupari, Miller
The puck drops at 6:00 PM Central Time, with live coverage available on Sportsnet.