The Winnipeg Jets play host to the Calgary Flames in a late-season tilt with major playoff implications.
A mere two points separate these Canadian rivals as they battle it out to claim the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Flames will be playing the second half of a back-to-back set and are fresh off a loss to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Jets hope to extend a two-game winning streak and maintain their tenuous grip on the final Wild Card spot. Both teams will be hungry to come away with points in this one.
The Jets are -130 moneyline favourites at home, and the total is set at six goals on Wednesday night at bet365.
Jets vs. Flames odds
| Jets Moneyline Odds | -130 |
| Flames Moneyline Odds | +110 |
| Over/Under | 6 goals (over -115, under +105) |
| Time/Date | Wednesday, April. 5, 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: Sportsnet West, TVA Sports (French) Stream: Sportsnet Now Premium (How to watch the NHL in Canada?) |
All odds courtesy of 
Previous Matchups
These two teams have played each other tight in their two previous meetings this year. The season series is split at a game apiece, with both contests ending with a 3-2 score in favour of the home team.
Their most recent tilt was won by the Jets on Jan. 3, when a Sam Gagner tally late in the third period proved enough to undo the Flames.
About the Jets (43-31-3, 39-38 ATS, 24-49-4 o/u)
The Jets have picked the perfect time to heat up, and they control their own destiny with five games remaining.
After dropping two consecutive games to southern California rivals (the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks) Winnipeg returned to the friendly confines of Canada Life Centre and rattled off two wins in a row, while scoring 12 total goals in the process. The usual suspects have shown up in a big way over that span, as Kyle Connor (2G, 1A), Mark Scheifele (1G, 2A), Nik Ehlers (3G, 1A), and Blake Wheeler (1G, 3A) have contributed mightily.
A two-game skid followed by a two-game win streak exemplifies the Jets’ season as a whole, as consistency has been hard to find and it’s the chief reason why Winnipeg is barely clinging to a playoff spot. Their last four games are also a perfect example of how much the Jets depend on their home tilts, as their record away from Canada Life (19-19-1) pales in comparison to their record at home (24-12-2).
Player to watch: Nik Ehlers
Ehlers has produced three goals and one helper over the team’s last two games. He missed a good chunk of the season early on, but is now fully healthy and a threat to score every single night, and he clearly likes home cooking. Ehlers has four goals over Winnipeg’s last three home games and zero goals over the last three road tilts. Expect Ehlers to be a threat tonight at Canada Life Centre in this very important matchup.
Nikolaj Ehlers – Anytime Goal
About the Flames (36-26-15, 29-48 ATS, 39-36-2 o/u)
The Flames could have, and should have, been coming into this pivotal game against the Jets on the heels of a massive five-game win streak, but instead they did the unthinkable and lost to a Blackhawks team that has had Connor Bedard in their sights since before the first puck dropped.
Calgary’s four straight victories preceding that unfortunate loss to Chicago has kept it ever so close to Winnipeg and the final playoff spot, but the Flames can’t afford to drop winnable games down the stretch if they hope to salvage a disappointing season to this point.
After losing franchise cornerstones Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk in the offseason, the Flames turned their aspirations around with the acquisitions of of Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri. Add to the fact that Calgary already possessed one of the better goalies in the league in Jacob Markström, and expectations were understandably high. The reality has been a letdown at best. Huberdeau and Kadri aren’t producing like they did a year ago and Markström has been a shell of his former self, turning in a save percentage of .890 thus far compared to a percentage of .922 this time last year.
All is not lost for this Calgary team as it has the talent to do damage in the playoffs. But the Winnipeg Jets stand in the way of the final spot and seeing as the Flames have lost their last four games at Canada Life Centre, the task is all the more daunting.
Player to watch: Tyler Toffoli
Toffoli has best exemplified a Flame of late as his production has been absolutely scorching. Over Calgary’s last five games, Toffoli has amassed five goals and two helpers. He’s been a major reason that the Flames are still in the hunt, and I expect him to be at his best tonight.
Tyler Toffoli – Anytime Goal
Probable goaltenders
Winnipeg: Connor Hellebuyck (34-24-2, 2.56 GAA, .918 SV%) – Probable.
Calgary: Jacob Markström (22-20-10, 2.98 GAA, .890 SV%) – Probable.
Noteworthy absences
The Jets lost the services of forward Sam Gagner for the rest of the year after he underwent hip surgery on March 16.
Betting trends to watch
- Under is 36-13-3 in Jets’ last 52 overall.
- Under is 4-0 in Jets’ last four vs. Pacific foes.
- Flames are 5-1 in their last six games playing the second half of a back-to-back.
- Over is 4-1 in Flames’ last five overall.
- Flames are 0-4 in the last four meetings in Winnipeg.
Wagers to consider
- Nikolaj Ehlers – First Goal – +1200. Ehlers is hot, so why not play him to open the scoring?
- Tyler Toffoli – Over 0.5 Points – +125. Though the payout isn’t huge, this bet is a slam dunk as Toffoli has been on fire (pun intended) for the Flames of late.
