Flames, Jets face off in key wild card showdown

The Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets face off against each in a regular-season game Wednesday, and the stakes couldn't be higher.

"Wednesday] night is probably going to be like a Game 7 for both teams," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said Tuesday. "I think that's the importance of the game for both teams. It's [not]*
"It's obviously intense," Flames forward Nazem Kadri said about the wild card race. "Everybody knows the situation. For us, we've got to play calm and composed. Of course, it's stressful and understand it's kind of do-or-die at this point. We've kind of been on that trend all year, so it's no different.
"We've worked ourselves back into the conversation. That's great news for us. Of course, all the games that we just played don't mean much if we don't continue to win. We're stressing that big time."
Calgary (36-27-15) trailed Winnipeg (43-31-3) for the second wild card by six points March 23. Since then, the Flames have gone 4-1-0 while the Jets are 2-2-0.
With a win, that gap can be completely erased Wednesday.
"It's a huge game," Flames forward Mikael Backlund said. "One of the biggest games in the regular season for the Flames in a while."
The stress heading into the matchup has amplified for Calgary, which won the Pacific Division last season before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in five games in the Western Conference Second Round.

The Flames, who had the opportunity to draw even with the Jets heading into the pivotal matchup, saw a season-long four-game winning streak end with a 4-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
"We have no choice," Backlund said. "If we want to keep our season alive and we want to keep our playoff hopes alive, we've got to forget about everything to this point and win one game [Wednesday]."
The Jets, who also lead the Nashville Predators by three points for the second wild card, enter with a bit more momentum having outscored opponents 12-3 in consecutive victories against the Detroit Red Wings (6-2) and New Jersey Devils (6-1). A third straight regulation win, and a four-point edge over the Flames remains equally critical for the Jets, who are seeking a postseason berth after missing the playoffs last season.
"[Wednesday]'s a huge game," Jets forward Adam Lowry said. "It's as close to a must win as you'll get in the regular season. It's a huge game. I think we've really been preparing for it."
NHL.com independent correspondent Darrin Bauming contributed to this report