Welcome back to NHL Predictions! Today, the San Jose Sharks take on one of the best teams in the NHL, the Winnipeg Jets. Today, like every day, Last Word on Hockey looks at the games happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head matchups and other factors that may play in. As we gear up for the holidays, now is the best time to watch two fun teams go at it, so let’s look at the Sharks face-off against the Jets. Finally, be sure to check out more predictions for all the NHL’s games throughout the 2024-25 season.
Time: 10:30 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time)
TV: NBCSCA; TSN3; ESPN+
The first matchup between these two teams got out of hand. The Jets splattered San Jose by a score of 8-3, as Winnipeg was amid their season-opening eight-game winning streak. Cole Perfetti, Neal Pionk and Vladislav Namestnikov each had four points in the game, with Perfetti and Nikolaj Ehlers having a multi-goal outing. Gabriel Vilardi was the other Jet to post multiple points. The Sharks are looking to avenge that performance and find a way to knock off the Jets. Winnipeg is looking for more of the same this time around.
When these two met in October, Winnipeg was on an eight-game win streak, and the Sharks were in the middle of a nine-game losing streak. Since then, the Sharks have a record of 11-10-3, showing a vast improvement. The key difference this time around is that Macklin Celebrini will be in the lineup. He has posted five points in his last three games, including three against St. Louis on Thursday. He has ten goals and ten assists on the season. The team’s last game was a 4-3 defeat against the Utah Hockey Club. Mikael Granlund found the back of the net and increased his team lead in points to 32. Fabian Zetterlund had a strong night, as he registered two points – one goal and one assist. He is up to 22 points in 32 games. Additionally, Nikolai Kovalenko continued his strong play since the Sharks acquired him. He added an assist and is up to four points in three games in Teal.
After the departure of Mackenzie Blackwood, San Jose has continued to split starts between goaltenders. Vitek Vanecek saw the net against Utah and played well despite a loss on the stat sheet. He faced 40 shots and stopped 36 of them, showcasing a bounce-back performance after four outings that he struggled in. Alexandar Georgiev has seen one game since the Avalanche dealt him to San Jose. He posted a win against St. Louis and didn’t face a lot of shots. Expect him to see the net against the Jets.
After a couple of losses piled up at the end of November, the Jets have rebounded well since the calendar flipped to December. After knocking off the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night, Winnipeg is trying to string together back-to-back wins. One player who’s hoping to lead that charge is Kyle Connor, who has been red-hot over the last five contests. He has three multi-point efforts in that time frame and leads the team with 38 points. Centre Mark Scheifele has 34 points on the year and is aiming to add to his 16 goals. After finishing seventh in Norris Trophy voting a year ago, Josh Morrissey has continued to anchor Winnipeg’s defensive core with 30 points. He and Pionk have formed one of the most formidable point-producing defensive duos in the league.
Additionally, the Jets have one of the top goaltending tandems with Connor Hellebuyck and Eric Comrie between the pipes. Hellebuyck has posted a .926 SV% and leads the league with three shutouts. He has seen the net in Winnipeg’s last three contests, but with the extra day of rest, he should get the nod again.
The Sharks are coming off a frustrating loss against Utah, while Winnipeg is looking to build off a win on Saturday night. Winnipeg has the advantage on paper at every position group, so San Jose will have to rely on a big goaltending performance. Ultimately, the Jets should be too much to overcome.
Prediction: Winnipeg wins 4-1
According to places like FanDuel, Winnipeg is -1.5 on the spread, with those odds at +112. We like the Jets to win by multiple goals.
Main Photo Credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images
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