Winnipeg Jets vs Calgary Flames: Players to Watch, TV and More
The Winnipeg Jets kick off their 2021 season against the Calgary Flames tonight. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup.
The NHL schedulers gave the Winnipeg Jets a great matchup to get some revenge on opening night when they released the Jets season schedule. Tonight the Jets open their 2021 campaign against the same team that eliminated them in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers in August, the Calgary Flames.
Although the Flames won the best-of-five series in four games, the games were tough and physical. Game one started with a questionable Matthew Tkachuk hit that knocked Mark Scheifele out of the rest of the series.
Regardless of all of this, today is a new fresh start for the Jets. They get to open up their new season on home ice at Bell MTS Place. The first puck drop of the season is scheduled for shortly after 7:00 p.m. Central Time.
Due to all that transpired in last year’s postseason, tonight is a must-see game. Expect this game to be fast, physical, and tight checking.
Odds
The Winnipeg Jets come into tonight as the underdogs, courtesy of the Action network.
It is no surprise that the Jets are underdogs after the Flames disposed of the Jets easily in last year’s Stanley Cup Qualifiers, but a lot of time has passed since that game.
Since it is the first game of the new campaign for both teams and there were no preseason games, it is fair to call this contest a toss-up.
Where to Watch Tonight’s Game
TV: TSN3, SNW
Radio: 680 CJOB
Livestream: NHL.TV, TSN.ca, TSN app
Players to Watch
Winnipeg Jets. Mark Scheifele. 55. player. 107. . Center
On any night, the Jets joint-leading point scorer from last season, Mark Scheifele, is always a player to watch for the Jets. Recently this offseason, the NHL Network rated Scheifele as the twelfth best center in the NHL.
More. NHL Network Rates Mark Scheifele as 12th Best Center. light
Scheifele had an outstanding season in 2019-2020. In 71 games played, the twenty-seven-year-old had 29 goals, 44 assists, 45 penalty minutes, and had a +2 plus/minus.
Unfortunately, as we mentioned on the last slide, Scheifele was knocked out of the postseason a couple of minutes into game one against the Flames after getting hit by Tkachuk.
With that being said, keep a close eye on Scheifele tonight. Expect him to be on his top game tonight and show the Flames what they missed in games two through four last summer.
Scheifele should be extremely fun to watch in this matchup.
Goalie. Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom. 25. player. 112.
The Calgary Flames made a splash on the first day of free agency. The Flames decided to sign goaltender Jacob Markstrom to a lucrative six-year deal worth an average annual value (“AAV”) of $6,000,000.
Tonight will be Markstrom’s first game with his new team and he is definitely the player to watch on the Flames. Markstrom is coming into this season after playing outstanding for the Canucks last year.
In 2019-2020, Markstrom appeared in 43 games and posted an impressive 23-16-4 record with a 2.75 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. Markstrom was rewarded for his efforts by being named an All-Star and finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting.
It will be extremely interesting to watch Markstrom in his first game with the Flames, especially without being able to see any shots in exhibition games. He has a tough task tonight against the Jets’ extremely talented top-six forwards.
Markstrom’s performance could ultimately be the difference in tonight’s contest.
Projected Lineups
. 0-0. . Winnipeg Jets. . team. 107
Yesterday was a huge day around the Winnipeg Jets organization. They announced their opening night roster and, shortly thereafter, they signed Trevor Lewis to a one-year deal that carried an AAV of $750,000.
The Jets made some key acquisitions this offseason when they acquired veteran players: Paul Stastny, Derek Forbort, and Nate Thompson. The Jets acquired Stastny in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights and they signed Forbort and Thompson who were both free agents.
Heading into this season, the Jets switched up their top-six line combinations. Ehlers has made the jump to the Jets’ “top line” with Scheifele and Wheeler, while Connor has traded places with Ehlers on the second line.
Nikolaj Ehlers could miss tonight’s game due to the new NHL COVID-19 Protocols. Ehlers was forced to miss practice yesterday due to these protocols, but the Jets said “it is in the range of possibilities” that he plays this evening.
Connor is projected to be on a strong second line with Stastny at center and Laine on the right-wing. The Jets’ third line will be a familiar combination featuring Copp, Lowry, and Appleton.
Jansen Harkins will most likely be out of the lineup tonight after recovering from an injury that he picked up in training camp. This would then make way for Mathieu Perreault to play on the fourth line alongside Thompson and Lewis, who will both be making their Jets’ debut.
If Ehlers cannot play tonight, Kristian Vesalinen will also come into the lineup and slot on the third line. Andrew Copp will subsequently take Ehlers’ spot on the first line.
The Jets will feature some familiar defensive combinations compared to last year. Morrissey and Poolman, and Beaulieu and DeMelo will stay together, while former Flames player Derek Forbort is projected to play on a pair with Neal Pionk.
2020 Vezina Trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck is projected to get the start tonight and Laurent Brossoit will be the Jets’ backup netminder.
The Jets are projected to lineup like this:
Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Stastny-Laine
Copp-Lowry-Appleton
Perreault-Thompson-Lewis
Morrissey-Poolman
Forbort-Pionk
Beaulieu-DeMelo
Hellebuyck (Brossoit)
. Calgary Flames. . team. 112. . 0-0
Just like the Jets, the Flames forward group will look awfully similar at the start of this new season. The Flames acquired Dominik Simon, this offseason, and he will feature on their top line with Gaudreau and Monahan.
Calgary also bolsters a tough second line to match up against. Tkachuk, Lindholm, and Dube play on this line. Tkachuk led the Flames in points last season and Lindholm also had a nice 2019-2020 campaign where he picked up 54 points.
The biggest change we will see on Calgary’s roster is on defense. The Flames lost two defensive stalwarts from last year to free agency. Those players are Derek Forbort, who is now a member of the Jets, and Travis Hamonic, who recently signed with the Vancouver Canucks.
To cover their losses the Flames added twenty-seven-year-old Russian defenseman, Nikia Nesterov, and they also signed Christopher Tanev. Juuso Valimaki is also set for a bigger role in 2021 and is projected to play on a pair with Nesterov.
Jacob Markstrom is projected to make his Flames debut in net tonight and David Rittich will back him up.
The Flames are projected to lineup like this:
Gaudreau-Monahan-Simon
Tkachuk-Lindholm-Dube
Leivo-Backlund-Mangiapane
Lucic-Bennett-Nordstrom
Giordano-Andersson
Hanifin-Tanev
Valimaki-Nesterov
Markstrom (Rittich)
Winnipeg Jets Fans: What are your score predictions for the Jets’ first game of the season? Leave your comments below!
No Need For Winnipeg Jets to Rush a Jack Roslovic Trade. light. Must Read
*All Stats Provided by the NHL*