Jets hope to avoid Flames’ brooms
Calgary targets season sweep in Winnipeg
CALGARY It’s tired but it’s true: you really do need your big guns to be at their best in a heavyweight matchup.
The Winnipeg Jets’ top trio of Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine combined for seven points in Thursday’s 4-3 triumph over Boston.
The Jets’ captain, Wheeler, has been leading the offensive charge with eight goals and 13 points in seven games during the month of March, and just hit the 20-goal plateau for the sixth consecutive campaign.
Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames’ first line should be feeling fine after a 14-point explosion in Tuesday’s 9-4 trouncing of the New Jersey Devils. That included a hat trick and career best six-point night for Johnny Gaudreau, who must have been sick of answering questions about his recent scoring woes. His pals, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm, chipped in four points apiece.
However, Calgary may be fighting fatigue after playing the New York Rangers on Friday night.
Here are five things to watch for when the Jets host the Flames in a Western Conference showdown on Saturday:
1. Division dreams
With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, both squads are focused on the quest for top spot in their respective divisions. The Jets and Nashville Predators are battling for bragging rights in the Central, while the Flames continue to fight with the San Jose Sharks for the top perch in the Pacific. This could be a potential preview of the Western Conference final, but there are many obstacles to clear first.
2. Bring the brooms?
The Flames are shooting to sweep the regular-season series against the Jets. They notched a 6-3 victory at the Saddledome in November, then returned from the NHL’s festive break with a 4-1 turkey burn-off at Bell MTS Place. Gaudreau has tallied four times — including a Dec. 27 hat trick — in those meetings, while lesser light Mark Jankowski has potted a pair of his own. Laine has scored half of Winnipeg’s four goals against Calgary.
3. Sniper to set-up man
He remains one of the NHL’s most dangerous marksmen, but Laine has proven of late there is more to his game than just picking corners. The 20-year-old hasn’t scored in his past seven outings, but he’s racked up a half-dozen helpers during that span.
4. Starting Smith?
It’s usually a no-brainer to rotate goaltenders during a back-to-back set, but the Flames’ puck-stopping plan for Saturday’s showdown likely depends on how Mike Smith is feeling after a bout with illness earlier this week.
5. This ’n’ that
The Jets’ power play operates at a league-best 32.1 per cent clip on home ice … After missing threeplus months due to a blood clot, Winnipeg-raised defenceman Michael Stone has been cleared to return to action on Calgary’s blue-line.