The Anaheim Ducks travel to take on the Winnipeg Jets tonight in Game 3 of their NHL Playoffs series in the opening round. The game is scheduled for a 9:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on the NBC Sports Network. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Jets favored in this one on home ice.
Anaheim won the opening two games of the series, out-scoring Winnipeg 6-3 in those games. The Ducks really took advantage of the man advantage in those games as well, tallying three of their goals on the power play. Frederik Anderson has been impressive in between the pipes for the Ducks as well, stopping all but three shots in the two games, helping secure the Anaheim victories on their own ice.
Tonight Winnipeg must find a way to win. Much like the Ottawa Senators, going down three games to none to an opponent just isn't the best option. Montreal owns that advantage over the Senators and that series is now over for all intents and purposes. If Winnipeg loses in this one tonight, the Ducks are moving on to the next round.
The Ducks were 25-12-4 on the road this season, so they should be comfortable in this game tonight. The Jets were just OK in their own building this season (22-13-6) but tonight is an absolute must-win for them. And they won't be able to feel comfortable at any point if they're only leading by a goal in this one. Anaheim keeps coming at their opponents in offensive waves this season. The Ducks found a way to pile up 18 wins when trailing at any point during the third period.
They also owned the best mark in the league, going 12-23 after trailing after three periods this season. While that's still 11 games under the .500 mark, it's still an impressive record to have won 12 games this year when losing heading into the final period. Tonight they continue to win, but it'll be a tough one in Winnipeg.
Free Pick: Ducks
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