Plenty of time for Flames to think about Jets ahead of lone all-Canadian matchup

Bryan Little scored the winner at snowy, chilly Mosaic Stadium.

However the league’s relaunch plan pits the prairie-province golf equipment towards one another in a best-of-five “play-in” spherical which might decide the 16 playoff groups.

Having doubtlessly two months to organize for an NHL opponent is exclusive.

“I don’t think we want to focus on Winnipeg so, so much that we’re frozen by it,” Flames head coach Geoff Ward stated Wednesday throughout a convention name.

“We’ll do our due diligence on Winnipeg. We know who the opponent is now, but the most important thing we’re thinking about is how we’re going to prepare our team to play Winnipeg.”

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When the NHL hit pause, Calgary (36-27-7) ranked third in Pacific Division 4 factors again of the second-place Edmonton Oilers.

The Jets (37-32-8) have been fourth within the Central and held down the primary wild-card berth within the Western Convention.

“I think playing them late in the season would have probably been an advantage to both teams in terms of preparation,” Ward stated.

“Clearly now we get to review Winnipeg a bit of bit extra as a result of we all know they’re our opponent. Crucial factor for us is what are we going to do, let’s get to our sport and what does that contain?

“How can we put together ourselves the most effective to come back out of the break and be enjoying our greatest hockey, when that first puck drops?”

Each Calgary and Winnipeg have been eradicated within the first spherical of playoffs in 2019.

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The Jets reached the Western Convention ultimate in 2018 earlier than bowing out to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The NHL going to convention matchups as an alternative of divisional might have negated an early Battle of Alberta within the relaunch, though the league has but to announce how playoff groups might be seeded.

The Flames may find yourself enjoying the Jets in Edmonton as a result of the provincial capital is a candidate metropolis for the NHL’s hub-city idea to finish the playoffs.

“It will be loads much less journey to get there,” Flames captain Mark Giordano acknowledged.

“We’re all anticipating to don’t have any followers within the constructing, so I do not suppose will probably be an excessive amount of of a bonus both method.

“The big thing for us is how the seeding works. Home-ice advantage is still an advantage obviously for last [line] change and stuff like that.”

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Ward, who took over as Calgary’s interim head coach in November when Invoice Peters resigned, has some expertise teaching an NHL crew that wishes to hit the bottom operating.

He was an assistant coach of the Boston Bruins throughout the lockout season of 2012-2013. The NHL did not resume till Jan. 6.

“There certainly are some parallels and some things you can draw on there,” Ward stated.

“We need to understand there is a little of urgency coming out of this one just in terms of the first one being a best-of-five, just in terms of how long the players are going to have been off without really being able to skate.”