Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness is well aware of the stakes in Wednesday's clash with the Calgary Flames.

"(Wednesday) is probably going to be like a Game 7 for both teams," Bowness said Tuesday, per Sportsnet's Ken Wiebe. "I think that's the importance of the game."

The Jets and Flames are locked in a tense battle for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Winnipeg currently holds the advantage with 89 points through 77 contests, but a Calgary win in regulation would create a tie with one extra game played.

The Jets also hold the edge in regulation wins (33-29), the first tiebreaker if the two Canadian clubs end up tied in points at season's end. Despite being in the driver's seat, Winnipeg knows it can't take its next game for granted.

"(Wednesday) is as close to a must-win as you'll get in the regular season," forward Adam Lowry said. "It's a huge game."

Lowry added: "There's still pressure. The race is so close. These next couple of games are going to be the pressure release. We’re ready for the challenge."

The Flames head to Winnipeg on the heels of a loss to the 30th-place Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Calgary forward Mikael Backlund hinted postgame that the Flames were focused on the Jets rather than the task at hand.

Puck drop between the Jets and Flames is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray won't return to Sunday's contest against the Detroit Red Red Wings after he was inadvertently knocked over by Lucas Raymond in the first period.

Murray immediately went to the dressing room and didn't return to the crease for the middle frame. There was no penalty on the play.

Detroit scored twice on seven shots before Murray departed.

Murray has already had two significant absences this season. He was sidelined with an adductor ailment in October and returned from a 17-game ankle-injury absence in early March.

The 28-year-old entered Sunday's game with a 14-8-2 record and a .905 save percentage in his debut season with the Leafs. Toronto acquired him in an offseason trade with the Ottawa Senators.

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Boston Bruins pest Brad Marchand playfully barbed St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington prior to Sunday's contest between the two clubs.

Marchand jokingly said Binnington has taken his crown as the league's most hated player in a lighthearted pre-game interview with TNT's Paul Bissonnette.

"He makes me look like a good guy, though, so I love it," Marchand said. "I used to be the most hated. I think he's kind of taken that over now."

Binnington made headlines last month when he earned a two-game suspension for punching Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman and sparking a near brawl. The incident was the latest in a long list of antics throughout the feisty Blues netminder's career. Earlier this season, Blues head coach Craig Berube said Binnington needs to cut down on extracurriculars and focus on stopping the puck.

Marchand is no stranger to controversy himself, earning an NHL-record eight suspensions over the course of his 14-year career with the Bruins.

Binnington and Marchand met in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, culminating in the Blues winning the championship in seven games.

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The Edmonton Oilers punched their ticket to the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 6-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.

Edmonton is the second team in the Western Conference to clinch a playoff berth, joining the Vegas Golden Knights. The Oilers are now up to 99 points for the season, two back of Vegas for first place in the Pacific Division with one extra game played.

Jay Woodcroft's crew has been the league's hottest team since March 1, posting a 13-2-1 record over that span. He guided the Oilers to the playoffs last year after taking over behind the bench for Dave Tippett midseason.

The Oilers' 2022 playoff run included series wins over the Los Angles Kings and Calgary Flames before a sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.

Edmonton has now reached the postseason in five of eight campaigns since drafting Connor McDavid first overall in 2015. The runaway MVP favorite played a significant part in helping his club get back to the dance this season with a career-high 62 goals and 146 points.

The Oilers' seeding in the Pacific's playoff picture is far from decided. Los Angeles is a single point back of Edmonton with a game in hand.

The two clubs will meet in a crucial contest Tuesday.

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In case his stats weren't a clear enough indicator, Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk said he's settled into his new surroundings rather nicely this season.

"I knew I was going to love it, but I didn't think I'd love it this much," Tkachuk told The Athletic's Joshua Kloke.

Tkachuk made waves this past summer by commandeering a move from the Calgary Flames after six seasons. He told the club he wouldn't sign a new deal as a restricted free agent, triggering the monumental trade that sent Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar to the Flames. Tkachuk signed an eight-year, $76-million deal with the Panthers shortly after the deal.

"I just saw my opportunity and took it," Tkachuk said.

He added: "I know Florida as a team isn't talked about as publicly as some other teams. But honestly, I didn't listen to (the doubters)."

Tkachuk has played his way into the Hart Trophy conversation this season with 101 points through 73 games while averaging a career-high 20:33 per contest. The Panthers' leading scorer also won All-Star Game MVP in front of his home fans in February.

Despite his individual success, the Panthers are in a battle to qualify for a playoff spot one season after winning the Presidents' Trophy. Florida entered Friday's schedule one point back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild-card spot with an extra game played.

Tkachuk admitted not qualifying for the postseason would tarnish an otherwise outstanding debut year with the Panthers.

"I'm not just going somewhere where I'm able to be in 80-degree weather every day," he said. "I want to have a chance to be on a competitive team each and every year."

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Buffalo Sabres star goaltender prospect Devon Levi will make his first NHL start Friday against the New York Rangers, and the 21-year-old is ready for the challenge.

"It's exciting," Levi said, per NHL.com's Heather Engel. "I've been dreaming of this moment my whole life, so for it to finally be here, it's a big deal. I'm really excited."

The Sabres signed Levi to a three-year, entry-level contract earlier this month after his collegiate career with Northeastern came to a close. Levi made a name for himself as one of the best up-and-coming netminders over two years with the Huskies. He finished the current season with a 17-12-5 record and six shutouts while leading the NCAA with a .933 save percentage.

He was among the 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top player.

Levi joins the Sabres as they seek to snap the league's longest active playoff drought. Buffalo has an outside chance to qualify for the postseason, remaining in the mix with 77 points through 73 games. The club enters Thursday's action five points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild-card spot in the East.

"It's a great situation to be in," Levi said. "I want to help the team make a playoff run. It just makes the game even more valuable, even more precious. It's just a great opportunity, and I'm just grateful that they're giving it to me."

The Sabres have used three goaltenders this season - Craig Anderson, Eric Comrie, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - to little success. Buffalo ranks 27th league-wide with an .888 save percentage in all situations, hampering the club's third-ranked offense.

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The New York Rangers have signed forward Filip Chytil to a four-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday.

The deal carries a cap hit of $4.43 million, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen, and kicks in for the 2023-24 campaign. Chytil's current contract is a two-year bridge pact worth $2.3 million per season.

The 23-year-old is in the midst of a career year with 22 goals and 42 points through 66 games. He averages 14:34 per contest centering the Rangers' "Kid Line," which features Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko on the flanks.

New York's top two centers, Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck, are under contract until 2030 and 2029, respectively.

The Rangers are currently third in the Metropolitan Division with 98 points and clinched a playoff berth on Monday. Last season, the Blueshirts reached the Eastern Conference Final.

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The Los Angeles Kings are set to sign forward prospect Alex Laferriere to an entry-level contract now that his sophomore season at Harvard has concluded, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports.

Laferriere is expected to burn the first year of his deal and play regular-season games for Los Angeles down the stretch, Seravalli adds.

Harvard was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Ohio State earlier this week. Fellow Crimson standouts Sean Farrell (Montreal Canadiens) and Matthew Coronato (Calgary Flames) also signed with their respective NHL clubs in the aftermath of the loss.

The Kings selected Laferriere in the third round of the 2020 draft. He finished second in Harvard's scoring race this season with 42 points in 34 games.

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The Calgary Flames have signed forward prospect Matthew Coronato to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Sunday.

Coronato recently finished his sophomore season at Harvard, which was eliminated in the first round of the Frozen Four bracket at the hands of Ohio State earlier this week.

Calgary drafted Coronato 13th overall in 2021. The New York native posted 36 points in 34 games in each of his collegiate seasons.

The Flames are currently outside the Western Conference playoff picture with eight games remaining, needing to close a four-point gap to catch the Winnipeg Jets.

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Connor McDavid made it clear the Edmonton Oilers are in full support of Pride night leading up to their festivities on Saturday.

Pride warmup jerseys have been a hot-button topic lately, as players and teams across the league have opted against donning the uniforms. The Oilers have never worn Pride jerseys and won't Saturday, but the MVP favorite is adamant his club is an LGBTQ+ ally.

"Certainly can't comment on other players and their beliefs, and other organizations and what they're up to," McDavid said, per Sportsnet. "I know here in Edmonton, we strongly believe hockey is for everyone and strongly support Pride night. Looking forward to it."

He added: "I think we were the first team to use Pride tape in warmup. We're firm believers, obviously, in the celebration that is Pride night."

Oilers forward Zach Hyman echoed McDavid's sentiments about Edmonton's stance.

"Everybody has their own personal opinion. To me, it's an obvious no-brainer," Hyman said. "If I was in that position, I'd wear one. It doesn't go against any of my beliefs, it's probably on the contrary. I think it's extremely important to be open and welcoming to that greater community because they're a minority, and they've faced a lot of persecution over the years.

"To show that we care and that we're willing and ready to include them in our game, in our sport, is extremely important to me. It's a hard question because people have their own personal beliefs, I just don't agree with them."

In January, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to wear a Pride jersey in warmup due to his Russian Orthodox religious beliefs. Since then, the Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks scrapped plans to wear the rainbow-colored uniforms. The Blackhawks said they changed plans out of security concerns for their Russian players.

San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer and Florida Panthers players Marc and Eric Staal skipped wearing the jerseys over the past week due to their Christian faith.

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