Early look The full preview opens on Thursday 18 February, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Pittsburgh Penguins at Winnipeg Jets: game preview

Puck drop21 Feb · 5:00 PM ET
VenueCanada Life Centre
All-time meetings32 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Sixteen points apart last season

Pittsburgh finished last season 10th in the league on 98 points. Winnipeg finished 26th on 82, and the 2025-26 season series went PIT 1-1-0.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 33

Across 32 completed games, Pittsburgh lead the head-to-head 21-10-0.

All-time record21-10-0Pittsburgh's record in the series
Meetings played32This is number 33
2025-26 seriesPIT 1-1-0
Last 54-1Winnipeg
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
5 OctWPG 3 – PIT 234–32WPG 0/1 · PIT 0/2WPG
21 Mar 2026WPG 4 – PIT 5 SO25–32WPG 0/1 · PIT 0/2PIT
1 Nov 2025PIT 2 – WPG 530–34PIT 1/2 · WPG 0/4WPG
22 Nov 2024WPG 4 – PIT 130–18WPG 1/3 · PIT 1/3WPG
20 Oct 2024PIT 3 – WPG 642–37PIT 1/1 · WPG 0/2WPG
Head-to-head finder

The table on each meeting night

DatePittsburghWinnipeg
1 Nov 20258-3-2 · 18 pts5th9-3-0 · 18 pts2nd
21 Mar 202635-18-16 · 86 pts7th28-29-12 · 68 pts27th
5 Oct2-1-0 · 4 pts12th2-0-1 · 5 pts3rd

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 1 Nov 2025, Pittsburgh were 5th in the league and Winnipeg 2nd. By 5 Oct it was 12th and 3rd.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Pittsburgh out-attempted Winnipeg 321 to 304

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Pittsburgh Penguins

321 att · 154 on goal · 12 G · 7.8%
Crease33 att · 4 G
Slot124 att · 5 G
Wing114 att · 3 G
Point44 att · 0 G
Neutral zone6 att · 0 G

Winnipeg Jets

304 att · 160 on goal · 22 G · 13.8%
Crease27 att · 8 G
Slot114 att · 9 G
Wing107 att · 2 G
Point44 att · 2 G
Neutral zone12 att · 1 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Pittsburgh have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

PittsburghWinnipeg
3.58xG for per game3.37
2.47xG against per game3.37
59.2%xG share50.0%
+4.3FinishingGoals minus expected goals−1.1
−0.6GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+2.1

This season: 3 games for Pittsburgh, 3 for Winnipeg. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →


Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Pittsburgh

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2740.0%
Power play · 2025-2624.1% · 7th
Power play · last 5 meetings3/10 · 30.0%
Penalty kill · 2026-27100.0%
Penalty kill · 2025-2681.4% · 6th
Faceoffs · 2026-2745.5% · 87/191
Drawn · 2026-2710 (3.33/gm)
Drawn · last meetings10 (2.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-276 (2.00/gm)
PP goals · last meetings3

Winnipeg

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2750.0%
Power play · 2025-2618.5% · 24th
Power play · last 5 meetings1/11 · 9.1%
Penalty kill · 2026-2788.9%
Penalty kill · 2025-2677.6% · 21st
Faceoffs · 2026-2744.6% · 79/177
Drawn · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)
Drawn · last meetings11 (2.20/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-279 (3.00/gm)
PP goals · last meetings1

Skaters

Kyle Connor has 5 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
71Evgeni Malkin32241.33
18Tommy Novak32241.33
81Ben Kindel22131.50
81Kyle Connor33251.67
91Cole Perfetti32351.67
17Adam Lowry31231.00
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
72Declan Carlile32241.33
65Erik Karlsson30441.33
49Samuel Girard31231.00
44Josh Morrissey30331.00
2Dylan DeMelo31120.67
38Mario Ferraro31010.33
Defencemen stats

Kyle Connor vs Pittsburgh · game by game

See all: Kyle Connor vs Pittsburgh · game by game →
DateVenueGAPSOGTOI
5 Octaway000621:59
21 Mar 2026away000523:49
1 Nov 2025home202818:37
22 Nov 2024away112317:33
20 Oct 2024home101419:20
Last 5 meetings5 P4 G, 1 A · 26 SOG
Next best5 PErik Karlsson, PIT
2026-27 season5 P3 GP · 3 G
Blank vs PIT2 of 5
Full game log

Goaltending

Connor Hellebuyck has started most of these meetings

Connor Hellebuyck played 2 of the last 5 meetings with Pittsburgh, with a .900 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 19 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 19 Feb: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

PIT · 2-0-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 18 Feb

SV% · 2026-27.8862 GP · 2.47 GAA · 2025-26 .888
vs Winnipeg.8622 app · 58 SA · 8 GA
GSAx · 2026-27−0.52 starts · most on the roster
vs WPGVenueSAGASV%
21 Mar 2026home254.840
1 Nov 2025away334.879

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Sergei Murashov .912 (1 GP)

Full game log

WPG · 23-23-11 in 2025-26 Starter estimate from 18 Feb

SV% · 2025-26.89557 GP · 2.86 GAA
vs Pittsburgh.9002 app · 50 SA · 5 GA
GSAx · 2025-26+4.957 starts
vs PITVenueSAGASV%
21 Mar 2026away324.875
22 Nov 2024away181.944

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Stuart Skinner .909 (2 GP) · Clay Stevenson .938 (1 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.5 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

5 Oct5 · WPG 3–2 PIT
21 Mar 20269 · WPG 4–5 PIT
1 Nov 20257 · PIT 2–5 WPG
22 Nov 20245 · WPG 4–1 PIT
20 Oct 20249 · PIT 3–6 WPG

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Pittsburgh5.002.673.573.27
Winnipeg3.002.672.823.17

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.5Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings7.0Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

7 on the injury lists

Pittsburgh · injuries

Bryan RustUpper BodyIRReturn7 Oct
Justin BrazeauLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct
Ryan GravesKneeIRReturn24 Oct

Winnipeg · injuries

Connor HellebuyckSuspensionIRReturn17 Oct
Elias SalomonssonShoulderIRReturn15 Oct
Garrett BrownLower BodyIRReturn9 Oct
Walker DuehrLower BodyIRReturn17 Oct
3 Oct · PIT

Activated C/RW Benjamin Kindel from injured reserve. Placed C/LW David Gustafsson on waivers.

1 Oct · PIT

Assigned F Rutger McGroarty to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).

30 Sep · PIT

Reinstated C Blake Lizotte from injured reserve.

10 Aug 2026 · WPG

Signed F Tyrel Bauer to a two-year contract.

15 Jul 2026 · WPG

Signed F Cole Perfetti to a five-year contract.

13 Jul 2026 · WPG

Signed F Viggo Björck to a three-year contract.

Injury report
#22Liam RuckRound 1 · Medicine HatRW
#39Markus RuckRound 2 · Medicine HatC
#54Tomas GalvasRound 2 · LiberecD
#86Pierce MbuyiRound 3 · Owen SoundLW
Full draft
#8Viggo BjorckRound 1 · DjurgardenC
#71Samuel HrenakRound 3 · FargoG
#116Zach WootenRound 4 · Green BayLW
#135Alexandre TailleferRound 5 · QuebecD
Full draft

Updated after every final