Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 4/29/2022

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Venue: Canda Life Centre, Winnipeg, MB

Where to watch: SNW, TSN3

DraftKings: Flames -190, Jets +155

BetMGM: Flames -185, Jets +150

Caesars: Flames -175, Jets +155

Flames: 50-20-11

Jets: 37-32-11

Two games left for Kyle Connor to reach 50 goals. He’ll get the chance to do it, starting Friday against the Calgary Flames in their second-to-last home game of the season, and who knows if he might just go bonkers considering the Flames can just rest everybody.

Connor is coming off a goal and two assists in Winnipeg’s 4-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers  on Wednesday to give him 92 points on the season. Dare I say, he’s not going to be in the conversation for any big awards, but with four penalty minutes the entire season, I wouldn’t put it past the voters to give him the Lady Byng this year. Absolutely deserving.

The other side to that game is that Eric Comrie made 35 saves for his first shutout in the big leagues, and the 26-year-old goalie did so in his 23rd career start and 15th this season behind Connor Hellebuyck.

"[Comrie] is the type of teammate you cheer for every single day," Connor said. "You see it in practices, I'm sure you guys watch it all of the time, he's always one of the last ones off, putting in all of the work. So it's pretty cool to see it pay off."

The Jets have had a rather disappointing season but they’ve put some efforts together the last few weeks that at least make everyone feel like there’s some worth to their effort. Hellebuyck just recently got his 200th win in the NHL and with more to come, I can imagine the Jets trying to understand what went wrong this year and how this veteran group can actually turn it around and get back to the playoffs. Given how the Central Division looks this year, it might be a large uphill climb for the Jets.

As for the Flames, they’re coasting into the playoffs while awaiting whether they will face the Nashville Predators or the Dallas Stars in the first round. The Pacific Division champs are sitting at 111 points, and the final day of the regular season will determine their opponent.

Calgary is coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild in a game the home team desperately needed. The Flames are playing the Jets on the second night of a back-to-back with cross-country travel involved.

Johnny Gaudreau scored to reach 40 goals this season and further cement a strong case for the Hart Trophy this season, and Jacob Markstrom returned to the lineup to make 22 saves and snap their three-game losing streak. 

"We had lots of opportunities to win," Flames coach Darryl Sutter said. "We got taken to the cleaners in the face-off circles. That cost us a couple goals."

With Gaudreau’s goal, the top line of Calgary has each scored 40 goals. Elias Lindholm now has the team lead with 42, with Matthew Tkachuk right behind him at 41. All of those guys have strong cases for plenty of hardware this season, including Lindholm as it pertains to the Selke Trophy.

"It's the way we've been playing all year," Gaudreau said. "I've been very fortunate to play with a lot of good players in my career, and these two are right up there.

"It was cool (to score the 40th). Unfortunately, it wasn't the outcome we wanted as a team."

Part of me wants to believe that the Flames will rebound in a last-ditch effort to gather some momentum, but it wouldn’t shock me if they’re already checked out for the playoffs. Especially against a Jets team that’s not really playing for anything either, I think the Jets get it done and send the home fans happy for the summer. Jets win 4-3

Flames are 76-59 in the second half of the season the last three years.

Jets are 11-24 off an under this season.

Jets are 26-36 after a non-conference game the past three years.

Flames:

Johnny Gaudreau -- Elias Lindholm -- Matthew Tkachuk

Andrew Mangiapane -- Mikael Backlund -- Tyler Toffoli

Dillon Dube -- Calle Jarnkrok -- Blake Coleman  

Milan Lucic -- Trevor Lewis -- Brett Ritchie

Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson

Oliver Kylington -- Christopher Tanev

Nikita Zadorov -- Erik Gudbranson

Dan Vladar

Jets:

Nikolaj Ehlers -- Paul Stastny -- Blake Wheeler

Kyle Connor -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Jansen Harkins

Morgan Barron -- Adam Lowry -- Mason Appleton

Adam Brooks -- Dominic Toninato -- Evgeny Svechnikov

Josh Morrissey -- Dylan DeMelo

Dylan Samberg -- Brenden Dillon

Logan Stanley -- Neal Pionk

Connor Hellebuyck

Points: Johnny Gaudreau -- 115

Goals: Elias Lindholm -- 42

Assists: Johnny Gaudreau -- 75

Goalie: Jacob Markstrom -- 37-15-9, 2.22 GAA, .922 SV%

Points: Kyle Connor -- 92

Goals: Kyle Connor -- 46

Assists: Kyle Connor -- 46

Goalie: Connor Hellebuyck -- 28-27-10, 3.00 GAA, .910 SV%