Everything is on the line

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This article was published 04/04/2023 (1135 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The term “must win” has been thrown out a lot in recent weeks regarding the Winnipeg Jets and the team’s hunt for a playoff spot. Such is the case for a team that’s had a seismic fall in the Western Conference standings.

To consider Wednesday’s game against the visiting Calgary Flames anything less would be a grave injustice to the seriousness of the moment. The Jets know exactly what’s at stake come puck drop and the implications it could have on their post-season aspirations.

Must win? Do or die? Might sound hyperbolic, but that’s exactly the way Winnipeg is treating the showdown with the club currently nipping at its heels.

“(The) night is probably going to be like a Game 7 for both teams,” Jets head coach Rick Bowness said following practice Tuesday. “It doesn’t, win or lose, mean you’re eliminated for sure. But that’s the mentality both teams will probably have going into the game.”

He added: “The players know. They know the importance of the game. They’re men. They’re professionals, and they understand where we are.”

Even with their recent dip in play — which, prior to consecutive wins over the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils to kick off a current five-game homestand, included 14 losses in their previous 21 games — the Jets have occupied a playoff spot all season. A loss to the Flames, however, could see them on the outside looking in for the first time this year.

For that to happen, the Flames would have to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday night, then triumph over the Jets 24 hours later. Calgary enters its game against Chicago just two points back of Winnipeg for the second and final wild-card spot, with the same number of games played.

“It’s as close to a must-win as you’ll get in the regular season. We’ve really been preparing for it,” Jets centre Adam Lowry said. “We’ve kind of started to find our groove again. It took a long time to get that bit of swagger back. All four lines are really rolling. Our back end is playing great. (Connor) Hellebuyck has been rock solid back there. It’s nice to see contributions up and down the lineup. That’s going to be important going forward.”

While certainly a small sample size, the Jets have played a much better brand of hockey the last two games.

The offence appears to have found its touch, combining for 12 goals, including 11 at even-strength. Prior to the offensive outburst, the Jets had registered the same number of goals in their previous eight games.

Scoring hasn’t come at the detriment of the defensive game, either, with the Jets allowing just three goals against to the Red Wings and Devils. It has helped that Hellebuyck, who will make his NHL-leading 61st start, managed to make several, as Bowness often calls them, “timely saves,” turning aside 54 of the 57 shots he faced.

Like the Red Wings and Devils, the Flames arrive in Winnipeg at the end of a back-to-back. The Jets were able to take full advantage in the first two games — earning first-period leads of 3-0 and 2-0 over Detroit and New Jersey, respectively — and they’ll aim for similar success against the Flames.

“We’re a different team when we get that first goal and get the lines rolling. It’s awesome with our home fans — the last two games, they’ve been amazing and rowdy and I think they can feel the timing of the year and the importance of the game,” Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo said. “There’s going to be times when we’re going to look dominant, times when they’re going to look dominant. We’ve got to stay even keel and keep our foot on the gas and focus on how we play.”

Among the greatest factors behind the Jets’ scoring punch is the new configuration of the top-9 forwards. Bowness moved Mark Scheifele to the wing on a top line that also includes centre Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kyle Connor; Vladislav Namestnikov has shifted from the wing to play in the middle of Nikolaj Ehlers and Blake Wheeler; and Nino Niederreiter adds muscle to a third line that already had plenty of punch with Lowry and Mason Appleton.

Bowness did shuffle the fourth line, replacing Karson Kuhlman with Saku Maenalanen. Maenalanen returns to the lineup to help a penalty kill that has, according to Bowness, given up too many high-quality scoring chances the last few games.

“We changed the formation of the lines, we haven’t changed the way we’ve played. They’re just feeling more comfortable now. They’re getting results for their hard work,” said the Jets coach. “You give the lines a different look and they score goals. That was the object of it. As long as that keeps going, we’ll keep going the way we’re going.”

After the Flames, the Jets have four regular-season games remaining, including two more at home versus the Nashville Predators, who are also in the hunt for the final playoff spot (five points back with a game in hand), and San Jose Sharks. They’ll wrap up with a two-game road trip, with stops against the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche.

“It’s fun to play meaningful games this time of year. A year ago, we were kind of counting the days until the season was over,” Morrissey said. “I feel like we have that energy in the locker room now with the way we’re playing and sort of that mojo as a team that we had for a lot of the season. So, it’s a fun time of the year to play important games.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton