The Winnipeg Jets are off to a flying start this season. The boys from the Peg have been banging in the goals thanks to a very balanced effort on offense. Can they keep up their impressive start against the Calgary Flames, who haven’t exactly been lighting up the league like they did during last year’s improbable run to the playoffs?
Read on below as we preview this matchup between these two up-and-coming young teams out West. Meanwhile, check out more Friday NHL matchups with our previews of the Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets and Blues vs. Canucks.
[sc:NHLArticles ]Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets Betting Preview
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Canada
When: Friday, October 16, 2015, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Calgary Flames (+135) at Winnipeg Jets (-155); total 5.5 – view all NHL lines
Betting on the Calgary Flames
Perhaps a trip away from Calgary will do the Flames some good. The Flames have lost their first two home games, but got their lone win on the road at Vancouver. That win snapped the Flames’ five-game losing skid on the road, which they suffered during last year’s postseason.
[sc:NHL240 ]Scoring goals was their problem during that skid, as they scored more than two goals just once in those five games. They’ve failed to top two goals in eight of their last nine away from home.
Wingers Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler have combined for three goals and six assists through the first three games, but the Flames have not had much production beyond those two.
The top blueline pairing of Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton, who was acquired in the offseason from Boston, also has yet to come together as expected. Giordano has no points with a minus-4 plus/minus rating through five games, while Hamilton is a minus-3.
The two definitely have the talent to give a high-scoring Jets team a tough time, but they’re not there yet as a top-class pairing and could expose goalie Karri Ramo to Winnipeg’s attack. Ramo, who is set to start in goal for Calgary, gave up five goals in a 5-1 loss to the Canucks in the season opener.
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Betting on the Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets didn’t suffer any sort of home sickness despite starting the first four games of the season on the road. The Jets won three of those four, and are coming off a 4-1 shellacking of the Rangers in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
The Jets have come out all guns blazing, as they are the currently the co-top scorers in the West with 15 goals through four games. Blake Wheeler leads the team with five points, but they’ve been getting steady production from their first three lines. All nine players in those three lines have at least two points. Wheeler has four goals and six assists in eight career meetings with the Flames.
Meanwhile, their power play has been one of the most prolific in the league, converting 33 percent of their opportunities (third in the league).
As good as they’re attack has been, though, they’ve been equally as impressive at the back. With goalies Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Hutchinson alternating starts, the Jets are giving up just two goals per game (eighth in the league).
It’ll be Pavelec’s turn to start against Calgary. Despite giving up three goals in a 4-2 loss to the Islanders, Pavelec played very well as he made 40 in a losing effort.. However, he is just 1-3-0 with a 3.55 goals against average in four career starts against the Flames.
The over is 6-1 in the Jets’ last seven home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Winnipeg’s depth of weapons carries the day against Calgary, as the Jets soar to a 4-2 win, with the total soaring over 5.5.
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