Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The fixture list has been unforgiving for the Anaheim Ducks as the NHL regular season draws to a close. The Ducks have gone up against three straight play-off calibre opponents: the Minnesota Wild, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Los Angeles Kings. They will now end their campaign on the road against the Winnipeg Jets, who have already locked up the top spot in the standings.
Winnipeg Jets
In their last game against the Edmonton Oilers (1:4), the Winnipeg Jets rotated their line-up heavily. Defencemen Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk, both of whom usually log over 21 minutes per game, were rested. Centre Adam Lowry was also left out, while Nikolaj Ehlers and Gabriel Vilardi remain sidelined with injuries. With their play-off place already secured, the team is primarily focused on entering the post-season in peak condition. As a result, this final regular season fixture carries little competitive significance and looks more like a warm-up for what lies ahead.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are prioritising short-term goals and have some reasons for optimism this spring. Since 1 March, this youthful squad has converted 10.8% of its 5-on-5 shots — the sixth-best efficiency in the league. That statistic comes from a solid 23-game sample and suggests genuine progress. Among their five highest point-scorers in this stretch are Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, Trevor Zegras, and Jackson LaCombe — each has tallied at least 14 points, and just one of them is older than 23. A rebuilding phase inevitably shifts focus to the younger generation, and the Anaheim Ducks are clearly embracing that transition.
Winnipeg Jets vs Anaheim Ducks Prediction
With nothing at stake in the standings, it's hard to see the Winnipeg Jets finding the drive to convincingly defeat the Anaheim Ducks. In their latest match against the Edmonton Oilers, the Jets managed just 18 shots on goal. Furthermore, the Ducks have already claimed two wins over the Winnipeg Jets this season (3:2 and 4:3 OT) — a rare achievement. With that in mind, the +1.5 puck line looks like solid value.
