The Calgary Flames couldn't have asked for a better bounce-back game from goaltender Jacob Markstrom during Wednesday night's vital 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

"He was great today," forward Andrew Mangiapane told reporters postgame. "He's been great down this stretch here, so we've got three more games. We're gonna need him for all three of those.

"He's a big part of our team, and I'm happy to see how he's playing right now."

Markstrom made 34 stops in the victory and saved 2.59 goals above expected while turning aside all nine of the high-danger shots he faced, according to Natural Stat Trick.

It's been a rough season for Markstrom, who was named a Vezina Trophy finalist last season.

The 33-year-old also manned the Flames' crease during Tuesday's difficult loss to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks, surrendering four goals on 23 shots.

Markstrom was happy to be singing a different tune one day later.

"(I was) obviously still pissed off from the other night (against Chicago)," he said. "I think that fed into it a little bit coming into this game - a little bit more emotions than usual. It was a great atmosphere and a big win, but we've gotta keep going here."

Wednesday's victory helps the Flames keep their playoff hopes alive amid a spirited battle for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Winnipeg and Calgary both have 89 points on the season, but the Jets have played one less game and own three more regulation wins.

Walker Duehr may have scored the eventual game-winner for the Flames, but he pointed to Markstrom as the most valuable player in the contest.

"He was huge, he bailed us out a handful of times," Duehr said. "You could say he won us the game for sure. He was amazing tonight."

Heading into the all-important showdown, Jets head coach Rick Bowness said the matchup would be "like a Game 7." Flames bench boss Darryl Sutter offered a more measured take after the final horn sounded.

"We're not in (the playoffs) yet. If we didn't win tonight, or if you lose in overtime or the shootout, that's a big swing, too," he said. "All we did was close the gap."

Sutter added, "The media and outside the room has been telling us it's the biggest game, or we're over, or how bad we are since the All-Star break, so, it's like I tell the players: Block it out and play the game."

Next up for the Flames is a clash with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

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New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba won't return to Wednesday's clash against the Tampa Bay Lightning due to an upper-body injury, the team announced.

Trouba went down the tunnel after colliding with Bolts forward Corey Perry in the first period. The Rangers defenseman was playing the puck and took a hard fall, with the side of his face appearing to take the brunt of the impact.

He saw just 2:41 of ice time in the contest prior to his departure.

The Rangers entered the game with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Blue-liner Ryan Lindgren slotted back into the lineup after missing 17 of the Blueshirts' last 18 games with an upper-body ailment.

Forward Patrick Kane was ruled out of the contest with a lower-body injury, but head coach Gerard Gallant said the team was just being overly cautious with the veteran, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen.

Trouba, 29, has eight goals and 22 helpers in 78 games so far this season.

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe announced forward Ryan O'Reilly will return to the lineup Thursday against the Boston Bruins, according to The Athletic's Joshua Kloke.

O'Reilly has missed the past 14 games after breaking his finger on an Auston Matthews shot March 4 against the Vancouver Canucks. Toronto went 8-4-2 without its prized trade-deadline acquisition, good enough to hold second spot in the Atlantic Division.

The Maple Leafs slotted O'Reilly on the third line between Alexander Kerfoot and Noel Acciari at practice Wednesday, according to the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan.

O'Reilly has appeared in eight games with Toronto following the blockbuster trade with the St. Louis Blues, registering three goals and two assists while averaging 15:46 per contest.

The 2019 Conn Smythe winner has 24 points in 48 games between the two clubs this season.

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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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