JNGD.S8.G37 Flight Plan: Jets And Flames Meet In Western Showdown

5 years ago

Christmas break is over and it’s right back into the fire for the West leading Jets as they take on one of the teams hot on their heels, the somewhat surprising Calgary Flames.

The Jets will be looking for a bit of revenge after losing 6-3 in Calgary back in November. The game featured maybe the worst period of hockey the Jets have played this season as they gave up five goals in the first period. The Flames boast firepower that can score in bunches as they’ve had four games this season where they’ve scored four or more goals in a single period.

Calgary Flames (22-12-3 / 1st Pacific)
@
Winnipeg Jets (24-10-2 / 1st Central)

December 27, 2018 – Puck drop: 7:00 PM CST
Bell MTS Place – Winnipeg, MB
TV: TSN 3– Radio: TSN 1290


VS STL: 3-1 Loss	Last Game	@ VAN: 1-0 Win
2-2-1 (2 L)	Last 5 Games	4-1-0 (2 W)
Sean Monahan – 21	Goal Leader	Patrik Laine – 23
Johnny Gaudreau – 32	Assist Leader	Blake Wheeler – 47
Johnny Gaudreau – 48	Points Leader	Mark Scheifele – 49
22.48% (10th)	The Power Play	28.70% (2nd)
80.00% (15th)	The Penalty Kill	81.48% (11th)
David Rittich (11-4-2 / .923 SV%)	Starting Goalie	Connor Hellebuyck (16-9-1 / .909 SV%)
SO-L VS TBL (32-36/ .889 SV%)	Last Goalie Start	W VS SJS (41-44 / .932 SV%)
11-8-0 on road	Road v Home Record	12-4-2 at home

Flames Player To Watch

#19 Matthew Tkachuk – Left Wing

Son of Keith doesn’t lead the Flames in goals or assists, but he sure does lead the team and maybe the entire NHL in players annoyed if not out right angered. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree on this one as Matt plays with a serious physical edge that borders at times on dirty, but he also has shown an ability to add plenty of offense.

As of late, he’s been on a solid roll with goals in three of his last five games played and points in six of his last eight including a four assist night against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 12.

**Matthew Tkachuk career statistics**
			Scor	Scor	Scor			Goal	Goal	Shot	Shot	Shot	Ice
Season	Tm	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	EV	PP	S	S%	TSA	ATOI	BLK	HIT	TK	GV
2016-17	CGY	76	13	35	48	14	105	10	3	142	9.2	232	14:40	22	65	40	27
2017-18	CGY	68	24	25	49	-1	61	14	10	188	12.8	309	17:15	16	80	32	34
2018-19	CGY	37	16	26	42	6	31	9	7	88	18.2	153	17:41	7	34	13	22
Career	3 yrs	181	53	86	139	19	197	33	20	418	12.7	694	16:15	45	179	85	83

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table

Last Flames Game

The Blues got out to an early lead and then rode the strong goaltending of jake Allen to surprise the Flames with a 3-1 win in Calgary before both teams headed into the Christmas break.

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Flames Notebook

A couple of links from our friends over at FlamesNation:

The World Juniors have recently had a heavy Flames flavour – While the last few years have been a bit light on Jets representation at the World Junior Tournament, the Flames in the last few years have seen a handful of their prospects play in the yearly tradition.

Matthew Tkachuk leads Calgary’s 2018 Christmas Wishlist – Before Christmas, Pat Steinberg made a list of Flames and what he hoped Santa would bring them over the holiday season and checked it twice.

Jets Player To Watch

#44 Josh Morrissey – Defenseman

Before his last two games in San Jose and Vancouver, Morrissey had been riding a four game point streak and points in seven of his last eight games. While the offense has been an added bonus to his game this season – he is six points away from a career high – it’s his defensive play that helped the Jets to the best record in the west going into the Christmas break. He will have his hands full tonight with Calgary’s deep group of talented forwards.

After the Canucks game last Saturday, Josh was a guest on Hockey Night In Canada’s “After Hours” to talk about his time growing up in Calgary, his charity work and his time right now as a Winnipeg Jet.

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Last Jets Game

The Canucks carried play for most of the night but couldn’t solve the stellar goaltending of Laurent Brossiot who made 40 saves and picked up his first career NHL shutout in his home province. Mark Scheifele scored late in the game to make sure the Jets snuck away with the victory in regulation time.

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Jets Notebook

The Jets have allowed 40 or more shots in each of their last two games against San Jose and Vancouver which you think wouldn’t be ideal, but the Jets are actually 6-0-0 this season when the opposing team has 40 or more shots on goal.
After going 17-4-2 last season against Pacific division clubs, the Jets are 7-2-1 this season against the division. Of course one of those losses was against the Flames in a 6-3 loss on November 21 in Calgary when the Flames opened up a 5-1 lead on the Jets after the first period.
This is the second of three meetings between the clubs. They will play one more time on March 16 in Winnipeg.

Player ratings courtesy Corsica.Hockey

Be sure to check out our Twitter feed for any late mid-day updates to the game lineups!
You can also get up to the minute lineup combos for the Jets
including power play and penalty kill lines by checking out our line combo page.

Calgary Flames Lines

LW	C	RW	Forwards
JOHNNY GAUDREAU Rating: 81.2#7 LW	SEAN MONAHAN Rating: 80.3#21 C	ELIAS LINDHOLM Rating: 78.0#33 RW	FL1 Rating Rating: 79.83#10 FL1
MATTHEW TKACHUK Rating: 79.8#9 LW	MIKAEL BACKLUND Rating: 73.8#62 C	SAM BENNETT Rating: 71.9#113 RW	FL2 Rating Rating: 75.16#15 FL2
MICHAEL FROLIK Rating: 72.6#66 LW	MARK JANKOWSKI Rating: 71.4#127 C	JAMES NEAL Rating: 71.7#77 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 71.90#15 FL3
ALAN QUINE Rating: 69.4#118 LW	DEREK RYAN Rating: 71.7#115 C	GARNET HATHAWAY Rating: 68.7#122 RW	FL4 Rating Rating: 69.95#21 FL4

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS		Defense
MARK GIORDANO Rating: 80.1#4 LD	T.J. BRODIE Rating: 76.6#16 RD	DL1 Rating Rating: 78.37#5 DL1
NOAH HANIFIN Rating: 75.4#23 LD	DALTON PROUT Rating: 69.0#101 RD	DL2 Rating Rating: 72.22#21 DL2
OLIVER KYLINGTON Rating: 72.2#63 LD	RASMUS ANDERSSON Rating: 71.2#74 RD	DL3 Rating Rating: 71.72#12 DL3

GOALIES
DAVID RITTICH Rating: 70.1#43 G1	MIKE SMITH Rating: 73.7#23 G2

Winnipeg Jets Lines

LW	C	RW	Forwards
NIKOLAJ EHLERS Rating: 78.4#15 LW	MARK SCHEIFELE Rating: 87.4#3 C	BLAKE WHEELER Rating: 81.5#6 RW	FL1 Rating Rating: 82.42#2 FL1
KYLE CONNOR Rating: 76.6#21 LW	BRYAN LITTLE Rating: 73.4#70 C	PATRIK LAINE Rating: 80.8#7 RW	FL2 Rating Rating: 76.92#5 FL2
MATHIEU PERREAULT Rating: 73.8#61 LW	JACK ROSLOVIC Rating: 69.0#175 C	BRANDON TANEV Rating: 71.2#86 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 71.33#17 FL3
BRENDAN LEMIEUX Rating: 72.1#72 LW	NICOLAS PETAN Rating: 68.0#183 C	MASON APPLETON	FL4 Rating Rating: 70.05#18 FL4

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS		Defense
JOSH MORRISSEY Rating: 75.5#21 LD	JACOB TROUBA Rating: 76.9#19 RD	DL1 Rating Rating: 76.20#14 DL1
BEN CHIAROT Rating: 70.7#100 LD	DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN Rating: 80.7#6 RD	DL2 Rating Rating: 75.68#2 DL2
DMITRY KULIKOV Rating: 70.2#110 LD	TYLER MYERS Rating: 74.6#28 RD	DL3 Rating Rating: 72.42#6 DL3