Winnipeg visits 2-0 Pittsburgh on a road back-to-back, with Clay Stevenson likely to face Sergei Murashov in goal.
Winnipeg finally got its first win Sunday afternoon. About 30 hours later, the Jets have to try to do it again with a different goaltending setup and considerably less rest than their opponent.
The Jets visit Pittsburgh Monday night after beating Detroit 3-2 behind two Kyle Connor power-play goals, a three-point game from Cole Perfetti and 33 saves from Stuart Skinner. Pittsburgh has had an extra day to prepare and enters 2-0-0 after opening the season with a 7-0 win in Philadelphia and surviving a 6-5 overtime game against Montreal.
The schedule gives Pittsburgh the obvious physical advantage. The first two games also give Winnipeg a clear route into the matchup: its best offensive players are already producing, and the Penguins just showed how quickly a comfortable lead can disappear.
Winnipeg’s Power Play Is Already Dangerous
The Jets scored every goal in Detroit with the man advantage, converting three of four opportunities. Perfetti opened the scoring late in the first period, Connor scored 1:32 later and then added another power-play goal early in the second.
Connor enters Pittsburgh with three goals and five points through two games. He scored and added an assist in Winnipeg’s overtime loss to Boston, then produced two goals and an assist Sunday. Perfetti added a goal and two assists in Detroit, giving Winnipeg’s top unit enough creation to punish a Pittsburgh team that cannot afford unnecessary penalties.
Mark Scheifele, Gabriel Vilardi and Josh Morrissey add more options around that group. Winnipeg does not need another 75 percent power-play night. One or two successful special-teams sequences could erase a significant portion of Pittsburgh’s rest advantage.
Stevenson Is Likely to Get the Crease
Skinner played all 60 minutes in Detroit, making 33 saves and protecting a one-goal lead through a late Red Wings push. Scott Arniel had already indicated that Winnipeg expected to use both goalies during the Detroit-Pittsburgh back-to-back, which points toward Clay Stevenson on Monday.
NHL.com’s projected lineup lists Stevenson first, although Winnipeg had not officially locked in the decision as of Monday afternoon. The Jets’ own gameday report said the lineup could remain uncertain until warmups.
If Stevenson starts, the setting will at least be familiar. His NHL debut came in Pittsburgh in April 2025. He now potentially returns to the same building for his first appearance as a Jet, facing Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and a Pittsburgh team that has already scored 13 goals.
Pittsburgh Has Scored 13 in Two Games
The Penguins opened the season by dismantling Philadelphia 7-0. Their second game demonstrated a completely different version of the team.
Pittsburgh built a 5-1 lead over Montreal on Saturday, receiving goals from Malkin, Declan Carlile, Samuel Girard, Tommy Novak and Ben Kindel. The Canadiens then scored four unanswered, including two goals in the final 68 seconds, to force overtime.
Novak eventually rescued Pittsburgh with his second goal of the night 1:33 into overtime. Malkin finished with a goal and two assists, while Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang each added two assists.
Thirteen goals in two games makes Pittsburgh’s offensive start impossible to ignore. Allowing Montreal to erase a four-goal lead in little more than one period gives Winnipeg something equally useful to study.
Murashov Gets His First Start of the Season
Pittsburgh has confirmed Sergei Murashov for his season debut after Arturs Silovs started the first two games. That removes one of the uncertainties that existed earlier in the betting preview.
Murashov steps into a favorable scheduling situation. Pittsburgh has been off since Saturday, while Winnipeg played Sunday afternoon in Detroit and then traveled directly to Pennsylvania. The Jets also arrive with a goaltender change of their own likely coming at the opposite end.
The challenge for Murashov is Winnipeg’s skill. Connor is already finishing at a high level, Perfetti is creating around him, and Pittsburgh’s penalty kill may have to deal with a Jets power play carrying immediate confidence from Detroit.
The Penguins Are Still Missing Key Players
Pittsburgh’s 2-0 start has come with several established players unavailable. Bryan Rust remains week to week with an upper-body injury and will miss his third straight game. Ryan Graves remains out following knee surgery, while Justin Brazeau is unavailable with a lower-body injury.
Rust took part in Monday’s morning skate but has not yet progressed to contact. The Penguins have filled those missing minutes with younger and newer players, and so far that depth has produced goals.
Novak already has a three-point game. Kindel scored against Montreal. Nick Robertson, Egor Chinakhov and Andrei Kuzmenko give Pittsburgh additional options around Crosby and Malkin. The early offensive production has been spread broadly enough that Rust’s absence has not yet forced the stars to carry every shift.
Hellebuyck’s Absence Still Shapes Winnipeg
Connor Hellebuyck remains suspended after failing to report to Winnipeg, leaving the Jets to build their early-season crease around Skinner and Stevenson. Skinner delivered exactly what Winnipeg needed in Detroit, stopping 33 of 35 shots after allowing four against Boston.
Monday tests the other half of that arrangement. A road back-to-back against a rested team that has scored 13 times in two games is one of the harder assignments Winnipeg could hand Stevenson this early in the season.
The Jets can help him by keeping the game structured. Pittsburgh has generated offense from rushes, defensive involvement and special teams. Winnipeg cannot spend the night turning tired legs into repeated odd-man opportunities.
Pittsburgh Has to Finish the Game
The Montreal result gives Winnipeg the clearest tactical encouragement. Pittsburgh was dominant enough to build a 5-1 lead and loose enough to give every goal back.
Montreal made it 5-3 early in the third and then scored twice with its goaltender pulled in the final 68 seconds. A game that appeared finished turned into overtime before Novak finally ended it.
That becomes especially relevant against Winnipeg because Connor, Scheifele, Perfetti and Vilardi give the Jets enough finishing talent to punish a team that begins protecting a lead too early. Pittsburgh can dictate much of Monday and still make the game dangerous if it opens the same spaces Montreal found late Saturday.
Winnipeg Cannot Live on the Power Play
Three power-play goals were enough in Detroit because Skinner gave Winnipeg a strong performance and the Jets never allowed an even-strength goal. Reproducing that exact combination on consecutive nights would be asking for several low-frequency events to line up again.
Winnipeg needs more sustained five-on-five offense Monday. Pittsburgh can roll multiple scoring lines, and the Jets may eventually have to chase if fatigue begins affecting their defensive-zone exits or neutral-zone coverage.
Scheifele becomes particularly important in that environment. Pittsburgh can survive a penalty or a brief defensive lapse if the rest of the night stays under control. Winnipeg needs its top centre helping create dangerous shifts before special teams become part of the equation.
The Market Prices the Schedule Heavily
Pittsburgh is a substantial home favorite Monday afternoon. Current prices have the Penguins roughly -174 to -180, with Winnipeg around +144 to +150. The total sits at 6.5.
Those numbers have a straightforward explanation. Pittsburgh is home, rested, 2-0 and scoring freely. Winnipeg is traveling on consecutive days, played a competitive one-goal game Sunday and is likely handing the crease to Stevenson.
The line also leaves room for Winnipeg’s offensive upside. A plus price in that range reflects a team that carries legitimate scoring threats even when the schedule works against it. Any meaningful late movement should be checked again after Winnipeg confirms its starter at warmups.
Rest Gives Pittsburgh the Edge
Winnipeg has enough offense to make this uncomfortable. Connor is already scoring, Perfetti just produced three points and Pittsburgh’s collapse against Montreal provides evidence that a lead will not automatically turn into a controlled finish.
The cumulative matchup still favors Pittsburgh. The Penguins have fresh legs, home ice and a confirmed goaltender facing a Jets team that played Sunday afternoon and may be using Stevenson for the first time this season. Pittsburgh also has enough offensive depth to keep forcing Winnipeg to defend after its top line leaves the ice.
Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Winnipeg Jets 3. Winnipeg’s power play and top scorers should keep the game alive, but Pittsburgh’s rest advantage and early offensive depth give the Penguins the better chance to find the final goal. Another wide-open third period would favor the rested team more than the one completing a road back-to-back.
Sources
NHL, Jets-Penguins October 5 projected lineups | Winnipeg Jets, October 5 gameday report | NHL, Jets-Red Wings October 4 recap | NHL, Penguins-Canadiens October 3 recap | Montréal Canadiens, October 3 game recap | Pittsburgh Penguins, injury and morning-skate updates | Current Jets-Penguins market data, October 5, 2026