Minnesota Wild vs Winnipeg Jets (Game 4): Preview & Prediction

The Minnesota Wild got back in their first-round series with the Winnipeg Jets in a big way on Sunday, pounding Winnipeg 6-2 on home ice. They have a chance to level the best-of-seven affair at two games apiece tonight when they meet again at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul (8:00 PM ET).

Despite the beatdown and Minnesota’s excellent home-ice record this season, the game opened as almost a coin-flip. The total started at 5.5 with the under getting slightly shorter odds.

Opening Odds

The must-win Game 3 got off to a rough start for Minnesota. Devan Dubnyk gave up an extremely soft, sharp-angle goal less than five minutes in. But special teams saved the day. Mikael Granlund and Zach Parise both scored on the power play before the period was out, giving Minnesota a lead they would pad heavily with four second-period markers.

Dubnyk gave up another questionable goal to Tyler Myers in the second, which briefly trimmed the lead to 3-2, and actually looked pretty shaky again, despite stopping 29 of 31 shots. Goaltending remains one of Minnesota’s major concerns going forward.

It’s become an area to monitor for Winnipeg as well after Game 3, when starter Connor Hellebuyck gave up six goals on just 22 shots before being pulled for backup Steve Mason.

Key Injuries & Absences

The Wild have been playing without Suter, their top defenseman, since late March.

Myers is a new injury for the Jets. He was hit awkwardly into the boards by Marcus Foligno in Game 3 and had to be helped of the ice. The team is not revealing much about his status for Game 4, but don’t expect him to be out there, eating up his usual 21 minutes.

Team Stats

Betting Results & Trends*

*All statistics date back to regular season.

Score Prediction

Without Ryan Suter, this Wild team will be in tough to make a deep postseason run. But coming off a huge Game 3 win, and given the way they have dominated on home ice this season, losing just six games in regulation all year (one fewer than Winnipeg, which had the best home record in the league in terms of points), they should be favored in tonight’s game.

The loss of Myers is a big one for the Jets. He’s a top-four defenseman who’s already chipped in with two goals in the series and piled up 17 points on the power play in the regular season. It’s not as big a loss as Suter, but it’s one that will be felt, nonetheless.

[Minnesota] dominated on home ice this season, losing just six games in regulation all year.

The fact that the odds have this as almost a coin-flip means the value lies with Minnesota.

With both goalies looking suspect at points and both offenses containing ample firepower, fans should be in for another relatively high-scoring affair (relative meaning for playoff hockey).

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