Flames beat Jets 3-1 to keep playoff hopes alive

Apr 6, 2023, 06:01 am

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- — Andrew Mangiapane and Nikita Zadorov each had a goal and assist and the Calgary Flames beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 on Wednesday night to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Flames (37-27-15) and Jets (43-32-3) each have 89 points, but Winnipeg maintained its hold on the second Western Conference wild-card spot based on victories.

Walker Duehr also scored for the Flames, who lost to Chicago the night before, but are 5-1-0 in their past six games. Jacob Markstrom stopped 33 shots.

“He was great today,” Mangiapane said about Markstrom. “He’s been great down the stretch here. We’ve got three more games, we’re going to need him for all three of those. He’s a big part of our team and I’m happy to see how he’s playing right now.”

The Jets have four games remaining, one more than the Flames.

“We knew the game was must-win for us and it was a big them for them too, but you can feel it and the crowd was into it,” Markstrom said. “A great team effort and a great win.”

Kyle Connor scored for the Jets and Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves.

The Jets play another crucial game Saturday when they host the Nashville Predators, who have 86 points and five games remaining.

“We are still above them. We have a game in hand. We’re still on the inside,” Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois said. “But, of course, this team, we would have loved to win it and that is the objective. But we are still ahead of them. We still have one game in hand. We could be in a worse position right now, but we’ve got to look forward to the next game.”

Mangiapane gave Calgary a 2-1 lead at 6:06 of the second with his 17th of the season.

Zadorov sealed the victory when Hellebuyck couldn’t grab a high shot with 9:20 left in the third.

“If we didn’t win tonight or if you lose in overtime or a shootout, that’s a big swing, too, so all we did was close the gap,” Calgary coach Darryl Sutter said.

UP NEXT

Flames: At Vancouver on Saturday night.

Jets: Host Nashville on Saturday night.

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