Slump Busting: Flames-Jets Game Day Preview, Notes, How to Watch

Both the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets haven’t been at their best of late. Tonight presents an opportunity for each team to rediscover their offensive touch as well as their ability to defend as a team. Here is your game day preview!

Calgary Flames (34-35-5, 73 pts) vs Winnipeg Jets (45-24-6, 96 pts)          

Last Ten: Calgary (3-7-0) Winnipeg (4-5-1)          

Time: 6:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.           

TV: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West, TSN3, ESPN+

Coming to Work

Following a 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, head coach Ryan Huska took to the podium and let it be known that he was satisfied with the effort from his Flames forward group – with the exception of three of the four lines, or nine of the 12 players.

“We had a handful of players that came to play tonight, I think everybody here probably knows who those players are, and the rest did not.” said Huska. “We looked for an easy game, was my opinion on it, and I think that’s what we ended up getting.”

The performing line in question is the unit of Pospisil-Kadri-Kuzmenko, who outchanced the opposition 18-14 at five-on-five.

Expect the team to have received a bit of a kick in the right direction tonight.

Kuz

One player on that line, in particular has been exciting to watch of late. Brought in as part of the return for Elias Lindholm, mercurial offensive winger Andrei Kuzmenko potted two goals against the Ducks and appears to be elevating his game.

The 28-year-old Russian spoke to Chris Wahl of nhl.com after practice on Wednesday about his current upward trajectory.

“After this season, I have a lot of discussions about what happened at the start of the season,” said the Yakutsk product, “I like that it was a bad start, because, after a bad start, I understand what I need (to) play better, to go to other level.”

Goalie Dilemma

Dustin Wolf gets the start tonight. It appears the Huska and the Flames are taking a win and you’re in approach. Unfortunately, the Flames haven’t won two in a row since Pittsburgh-Tampa on March 14-16.

With Jacob Markstrom failing to record a save percentage above a .889 save percentage in his last seven starts, a question begs answering: If Dustin Wolf drops tonight’s game, who starts against the Oilers on Saturday?

Defensive Collapse

Both teams have had some severe issues both defending and attacking in the last 11 days. Winnipeg has a miserable 2.00 goals for per game; tied for last place over that time. Their defence hasn’t been much better with a 3.40 goals against per game mark in the last 5.

Calgary has been about as bad. Their offence has run a little better over the same span at 2.40 goals per game, and their defence has been a little worse at a 27th place 3.80 goals against per game.

Calgary Flames Projected Lineup

Coleman-Backlund-Coronato
Pospisil-Kadri-Kuzmenko
Huberdeau-Sharangovich-Hunt
Greer-Rooney-Duehr

Weegar-Miromanov
Okhotiuk-Andersson
Kylington-Pachal

Wolf
Markstrom

Winnipeg Jets Projected Lineup

Per John Lu. @JohnLuTSNWpg

Ehlers – Scheifele – Vilardi
Connor – Monahan – Perfetti
Toffoli – Lowry – Appleton
Barron – Namestnikov – Iafallo

Morrissey – Pionk
Dillon – DeMelo
Samberg – Miller

Hellebuyck
Brossoit

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