Winnipeg and Chicago both scored five goals Tuesday, but those wins set up a different kind of test Thursday. The Jets bring a productive top line and stronger recent results from their expected goalie; the Blackhawks have to show their offensive burst can carry over against tougher resistance in net. That contrast makes this more interesting than a simple matchup between Winnipeg’s 4-1-1 start and Chicago’s 2-5 record.
Winnipeg’s top line has something to build on
Cole Perfetti scored twice and Mark Scheifele added a goal and two assists in Winnipeg’s 5-2 win over Minnesota on Tuesday. Kyle Connor chipped in a goal and an assist, giving that trio seven points. They’re together on the Jets’ top line for this matchup, making them the clearest personnel focus for Chicago.
The Blackhawks got their own lift in a 5-3 win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Teuvo Teravainen and Roman Kantserov each scored twice, while Connor Bedard contributed an assist in his season debut. Chicago didn’t need all its scoring to come from Bedard, an encouraging detail as it tries to build on just its second win. Still, Tyler Bertuzzi’s final goal came into an empty net, so the five-goal headline slightly flatters the attack’s work against a goalie.
Winnipeg also has an availability concern worth watching: defenseman Josh Morrissey is day-to-day with a wrist injury.
The clearest contrast is in net
Stuart Skinner and Spencer Knight are expected in goal, and their recent appearances give Winnipeg the stronger starting point. Skinner has a .917 save percentage across his four most recent appearances and allowed two goals in each of his last three starts. Knight has an .885 save percentage across his five most recent appearances, allowing at least four goals in three of them. Both samples come from this regular season.
Those are small samples, but they help explain the challenge facing Chicago’s attack. Tuesday’s five-goal performance is a positive result; repeating it against a goalie who has recently been harder to beat is another matter. For Knight, slowing Winnipeg’s top line would go a long way toward keeping Chicago competitive.
DraftKings’ moneyline prices make Winnipeg a -135 favorite and Chicago a +114 underdog. The Jets have the better early record and recent goaltending, but neither fact alone settles whether the favorite’s price is worth paying.
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Why the 6.5-goal total deserves a closer look
The teams’ early-season totals results pull in opposite directions: Chicago had five overs across seven games, while Winnipeg had four unders across six. Those games were played against different scoring thresholds, so the contrast is useful context rather than a verdict on today’s 6.5.
Our projections put Winnipeg at about 27 shots and Chicago at about 25, with roughly three power-play opportunities apiece. That’s a small expected gap in shooting volume, not a picture of one team overwhelming the other. The power plays offer both attacks chances to add scoring, though opportunities alone don’t establish how effectively either team will use them. Knight’s recent results and Winnipeg’s top-line production support the possibility of another productive Jets night; Skinner’s recent work is the strongest counterweight to expecting both attacks to repeat Tuesday’s output.
Chicago’s scoring contribution is the key distinction. Winnipeg has the more convincing combination of attacking momentum and recent goaltending, but our shot projections don’t suggest a large volume advantage. Chicago’s broader scoring support gives it something to build on, while Knight needs a better night to keep the Jets within reach. At 6.5, the most useful question is whether the Blackhawks can generate enough against Skinner—not whether two five-goal performances automatically point toward another high-scoring game.
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