Tonight the Winnipeg Jets start a four-game series against the Calgary Flames. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. central time.
This four-game set is a rematch of last year’s postseason qualifying round between the Jets in Flames, in which the Flames won that best of five series three games to one. Although the Flames got the better of the Jets in that series, it created a rivalry between the sides.
Tonight kicks off two games in two days between Winnipeg and Calgary. Game three will be on Thursday night in Winnipeg and the series will conclude next Tuesday (February 9) in Calgary.
The Winnipeg Jets look to get back to their game tonight against the Calgary Flames
The Jets are coming into this game after playing, what is fair to say, their worst game of the season on Saturday night. They got outplayed and drastically outshot by the Vancouver Canucks and lost 4-1.
That loss pushed the Jets record to 5-3-0 and they currently sit in fourth place in the Scotia North Division. On the Jets’ current seven-game homestand, they have split the prior four contests and have a 2-2-0 record.
On the other hand, the Flames are coming into tonight in the midst of a five-game road trip. Tonight is the Flames’ third straight game away from home, after playing in Montréal on Thursday and Saturday.
Calgary split their mini-series against the Canadiens losing the first matchup 4-2 and winning the second contest 2-0.
The Jets and Flames have already met once this year already. That game came back on opening night and the Jets flew back from two goals down to beat the Flames 4-3 in overtime.
Odds
The Action network lists the Jets as the underdogs in tonight’s matchup.
It is a bit surprising the Jets are the underdogs tonight. After the Jets performance on Saturday, expect them to come out strong as they look to bring their game to the Flames. Tonight should be extremely fun to watch.
Where you can Find the Game
TV: TSN3, SNW
Radio: 680 CJOB
Livestream: TSN.ca, TSN app, ESPN+
Projected Lineups
Considering the lines at Jets practice yesterday, the Winnipeg Jets are not projected to make any changes to their Saturday lineup.
If the Jets were to make any changes it would be Kristian Vesalainen coming in for David Gustafsson on the fourth line.
Winnipeg is expected to keep their defensive pairings the same for tonight’s contest and Connor Hellebuyck is projected to start in goal.
The Jets are projected to lineup like this:
Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler
Copp-Stastny-Ehlers
Perreault-Lowry-Appleton
Harkins-Gustafsson-Lewis
Morrissey-DeMelo
Forbort-Pionk
Beaulieu-Stanley
Hellebuyck (Brossoit)
The Calgary Flames are not expected to make changes to their lineup from their most recent game against the Canadiens.
Jacob Markstrom is projected to get the start tonight after shutting out the Canadiens on Saturday. Markstrom made an impressive 37 saves on 37 shots faced.
The Flames are expected to lineup like this:
Tkachuk-Lindholm-Dube
Gaudreau-Monahan-Mangiapane
Bennett-Backlund-Leivo
Lucic-Ryan-Nordstrom
Giordano-Andersson
Hanifin-Tanev
Valimaki-Nesterov
Markstrom (Rittich)
Winnipeg Jets Fans: Do you think Paul Maurice should make any lineup changes for the Jets heading into tonight’s clash with the Flames? Leave your comments below!
*All Stats Provided by the NHL*