Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames Prediction, Preview, and Odds

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The Winnipeg Jets went 46-33-3 this past regular season, earning the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. They suffered an early exit from the 2023 Stanley Cup, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. 

It was a turbulent season for the Jets, who ranked 21st in the NHL in goals scored (3.00 per game) and tenth in goals allowed (2.73). Kyle Connor led the way with 80 points (G31, A49), but he also had a minus-11 rating, while Mark Scheifele posted a minus-16 rating despite scoring 42 goals in 81 appearances. 

The Jets will continue to lean on their defense, and Connor Hellebuyck remains their go-to guy between the pipes. Hellebuyck was 37-25-2 in 64 starts last season, notching a 2.49 GAA and a .920 save percentage. The 30-year-old netminder has registered a save percentage north of .900 in each of his eight seasons in the league. 

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The Calgary Flames are coming off a disappointing 2022-23 campaign. They finished ninth in the West with a 38-27-17 record, just two points behind the Winnipeg Jets. The Flames had the most overtime/shootout losses in the league, so they fired head coach Darryl Sutter and replaced him with Ryan Huska, who’s spent the last five seasons with Calgary as an assistant coach. 

Calgary was scoring 3.15 goals per game in 2022-23 (19th in the NHL). The Flames had the worst shooting percentage in the league (8.8%), while their goaltenders ranked 23rd in save percentage (.890). Calgary was yielding 3.01 goals per contest (13th), and Jacob Markstrom went 23-21-12 with a 2.92 GAA and an underwhelming .892 save percentage. Markstrom is expected to guard the cage Wednesday against the Jets. 

Tyler Toffoli led the charge for the Flames last season, tallying 34 goals and 39 assists in 82 games. He was traded to the New Jersey Devils in the offseason, and the Flames got youngster Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick in return. Keep your eyes on centers Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund, who combined for 41 goals and 79 assists in 2022-23. 

Best Bets for this Game

Insiders Status:

I would be surprised by a high-scoring affair. The Jets rely on Connor Hellebuyck, who’s been one of the best netminders in the NHL over the last few years, and their offense doesn’t breed confidence, at least on paper. On the other side, the Flames hope to improve on the offensive side of the puck, but I doubt their chances to score a lot against this Winnipeg team. 

The under has hit in each of the previous five encounters between Winnipeg and Calgary, and none of those games has seen more than five goals on the scoreboard. Also, seven of their last ten meetings at Scotiabank Saddledome have gone under the total. 

Prediction: Go under 6.5 goals (-120)