JGD 70: Jets wrap up mini road trip against Flames

Two teams with identical records battling for the same goal: Auston Matthews.

The Winnipeg Jets wrap up a mini West Coast road trip Wednesday night against the Calgary Flames as both clubs continue to dip in the standings and increase their odds of winning the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft Lottery.

Heading into action Wednesday night, the Flames hold a 11.5 per cent chance of landing the top pick, while the Jets are right behind at 9.5%.

Provided by DailyFaceoff.com.

Mark Scheifele is riding a career-high eight game scoring streak with eight goals and four assists in that span. He also has 19 points in the past 13 games. Scheifele is on fire.

Dustin Byfuglien practised on Tuesday and could return to the lineup after battling the flu.

“We’ll see. He has to get through probably another 24 hours of keeping food down and feeling good,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice told the Jets’ official website. “If he is strong (Wednesday), he’ll go back in, but we’ll wait and see.”

Ondrej Pavelec is expected to get the call in net for the Jets. With 24 starts under his belt, Pavelec has posted a 8-11-2 record with a .904 save percentage.

Mikael Backlund will look to extend his scoring streak against the Jets. Backlund has two goals and an assist over the last three games. Johnny Gaudreau leads the Flames in scoring with 69 points.

The Flames will most likely be without T.J. Brodie, who’s been sidelined with an upper-body injury.

Joni Ortio has started the Flames’ last five games and may get the nod for a sixth on Wednesday.Mark Giordano leads all Flames defencemen with 45 points.

Game Day Prediction: Expecting a close game in this Auston Matthews Bowl. But the Jets will come out on top, unfortunately. Jets 3 Flames 2 (OT)

Obvious Prediction: Blake Wheeler will be a headache for the Flames’ defence.

Not So Obvious Prediction: The Jets, one of the worst power-play teams in the league, convert on every man advantage.

I’m sure Jets Nation has spent countless hours on various online NHL Draft Lottery simulators eager to see where Winnipeg may pick come June. This was the outcome on my first try. The tank may pay off!