The Winnipeg Jets seek to extend their winning streak on Friday night vs. the Anaheim Ducks and have decided on a starting goaltender.
Clay Stevenson is projected to get the starting nod vs. Anaheim, per NHL.com. Stevenson has one start in 2026-27, and it was a spectacular outing. He faced 31 shots and made 29 saves, good for a .935 save percentage.
It was only Stevenson’s sixth career start, and it pulled his quality starts percentage to .500. Stevenson now has a phenomenal .912 save percentage, 2.50 GAA, and four career wins. He is still searching for that first shutout.
Stevenson getting the nod on Friday night implies the Jets are looking to use a 1A/1B timeshare with Connor Hellebuyck away from the team. What the Jets do with Stuart Skinner and Stevenson will be a development to watch as the season progresses.
Winnipeg Jets Projected Starting Lines And Pairings
Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti will flank Mark Scheifele. Connor and Scheifele were the heroes on Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche. The duo linked up once again to score the game-winner. Meanwhile, Perfetti is having a remarkable start to his season, with six points and three goals.
Morgan Barron is slated to line up beside Viggo Björck and Gabriel Vilardi. Björck will continue to be the one to watch here as he searches for his first career point.
Adam Lowry looks to center Isak Rosen and Alex Iafallo. With three points and a goal in four games, Lowry is off to a good start. So is Iafallo, who has two points. Rosen continues to be shut out in points and has six giveaways. He’ll look to change that narrative when the puck drops.
Cole Koepke, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Brad Lambert make up the fourth line. Koepke (three hits in two games) should inject more physical play for the Jets.
Dylan Samberg and Dylan DeMelo will line up on the first pairing. Samberg is the new addition here, taking the injured Josh Morrissey’s place. Mario Ferraro and Neal Pionk are the projected second pairing, and Haydn Fleury and Tyrel Bauer make up the third. Bauer is the interesting name here, as he too will bring a physical edge.
Jack St. Ivany and Nino Niederreiter are scratched, while Elias Salomonsson, Walker Duehr, and Garrett Brown are listed on the injury report alongside Morrissey.
Anaheim Ducks Projected Lines And Pairings
A.J. Greer, Leo Carlsson, and Cutter Gauthier make up a dangerous projected first line. Greer is the weak link, but Carlsson is more than living up to his new contract with seven points and a goal, while Gauthier has four points and two goals.
Mikael Granlund is projected to center Beckett Sennecke and Alex Killorn on the second line. Sennecke leads the Ducks with three goals, while Granlund is producing at a point-per-game pace. Nikita Nesterenko and Nikita Klepov will flank Ryan Poehling on the third.
Klepov is the storyline here, having made his NHL debut on Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers. He landed five body checks in that contest.
Finally, Jeff Malott, Tim Washe, and Judd Caulfield round out the forward lines. With a combined 26 hits this season, this trio has been among the NHL’s most physical lines.
Defensively, Jackson LaCombe is projected to line up beside Tristan Luneau. LaCombe has three assists on the year and has averaged over 29 minutes of ice time per game. Pavel Mintyukov is slated to pair with Travis Mitchell on the second pairing, while Tyson Hinds and Noah Warren make up the third.
Lukas Dostal is the projected starting goaltender, and his numbers are misleading. Through three games, Dostal has a 3.67 GAA and a 0.872 save percentage. But he also scored wins against the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers, and he boasts a .667 quality starts percentage.
Scratches include Nick Jensen, Frank Vatrano, and Sam Colangelo, while Drew Helleson, Ian Moore, and Troy Terry are on the injury report.
The game will begin at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
Winnipeg Jets Make Starting Goalie Decision Ahead Of Ducks Clash