Game 79: Winnipeg Jets vs Philadelphia Flyers pre-game report

With no games last night the Jets playoff reality did not change although by this time tomorrow it very much could have with a bunch of the teams that are vying for the second wild card spot in the west playing this evening. Things stand as follows:

Los Angeles 85 (4)
Nashville 84 (3)
Winnipeg 82 (4)
San Jose 81 (4)

So when you look at the above and see Winnipeg with just four games remaining and Los Angeles ahead by three it’s a pretty stark reality check that this team needs to play basically perfect hockey and even that may not be enough. They won all three games they played last week and remain exactly the same number of points behind the wild card spot as they were a week ago.

They face a Flyers team who have forced themselves into the conversation in the east, sitting currently in 3rd in the Metro Division but with a slim hold on it and with teams nipping at their heels. Which makes banking two standings points in Winnipeg absolutely imperative for the visitors.

Skate news:

Starts at 9:30 AM CT.

Jets projected lines & D pairs:

Connor-Scheifele-Iafallo
Perfetti-Lowry-Vilardi
Koepke-Toews-Rosén
Niederreiter-Namestnikov-Lambert

Morrissey-DeMelo
Samberg-Pionk
Fleury-Bryson

Hellebuyck

Flyers projected lines & D pairs:

Foerster – Zegras – Tippett
Konecny – Dvorak – Martone
Bump – Cates – Michkov
Barkey – Glendening – Couturier

Sanheim – Ristolainen
York – Drysdale
Seeler – Andrae

Vladar/Ersson

Coach media availability:

To follow.

Odds:

The Jets return home on a three-game win streak and needing points to stay in the playoff hunt, while the  Flyers look to rebound from a loss and protect their spot. With pressure on both sides, expect a tight one in Winnipeg with a slight lean toward the desperate home team. For the latest Winnipeg Jets hockey odds, visit NHL betting site Betway.

Up Next:

Puck drop is at 6 PM CT. Be sure to head over to illegalcurve.com following the game for a recap of the action. You can join us on our YouTube channel for the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show around 8:40 PM CT as we discuss and analyze the results of the game.