Jets vs Flames Prediction
The Winnipeg Jets will play the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. Winnipeg was able to make the playoffs last season and will look to do so again, while the Flames narrowly missed out on the postseason.
Jets Preview
The Winnipeg Jets went 46-33-3 last season and finished with 95 points, which was fourth in the Central Division. Winnipeg was able to sneak into the playoffs, where they matched up with the Golden Knights in round one. The Jets got the win in Game 1 of the series, but they lost the next four games to get eliminated. Winnipeg scored 3.00 goals per game, which was 21st in the NHL, while they allowed 2.73 goals against per game, which was 7th in the NHL. Winnipeg went 2-3-1 in the preseason with both wins coming against Edmonton. The Jets scored two goals or fewer in three of their last four games. Kyle Connor led the Jets last season with 31 goals, 49 assists, and 273 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for Winnipeg is Connor Hellebuyck, who went 37-25-2 last season with a 2.49 goals against average and a .920 save percentage.
Flames Preview
The Calgary Flames were 38-27-17 last year and finished with 93 points, which was fifth in the Pacific Division. Calgary was in the playoff race for most of the season, but just didn’t play well enough down the stretch to get in. Calgary scored 3.15 goals per game, which was 19th in the NHL, while they allowed 3.01 goals against per game, which was 13th in the NHL. Calgary went 4-3-1 in the preseason with wins against Vancouver, Seattle, and Winnipeg (2x). The Flames won both games played against the Jets by scores of 3-2 and 5-4. Elias Lindholm had 22 goals, 42 assists, and 186 shots on goal for the Flames last year. The projected starting goalie for Calgary is Jacob Markstrom, who went 23-21-12 last season with a 2.92 goals against average and a .892 save percentage.
Matchup/League Facts
The Jets recorded fewer than 99 points in each of the last six seasons.
The Jets have made the playoffs in five of the last seven seasons.
The Winnipeg Jets were one of only two teams to sweep the Rangers last season.
The Flames recorded fewer than 93 points in each of the last two seasons.
The Flames have failed to make the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.
The Calgary Flames ranked 2nd in the league for shots per game last season (36.0).
Pick
The Flames will look to get off on the right foot this season after a disappointing 2022-23, but they will play one of the better defensive teams in the NHL. The Jets have Connor Hellebuyck in goal, who is one of the top goalies in the league in my opinion. Neither team was great at putting the puck in the back of the net, so we may see a lower scoring game here, but I like the Flames at home. Calgary will start the season with a win in this matchup, as they do just enough to get a few pucks past Hellebuyck.
