What a season it has been for the Winnipeg Jets. Storybook stuff, really. Career years for so many players, including Connor Hellebuyck, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti. League-wide recognition for Josh Morrissey, a breakout season for Dylan Samberg, and the league’s deepest team that got even deeper at the trade deadline.
And as we enter the Stanley Cup playoffs on Saturday, all that means is… absolutely nothing. You heard it: absolutely nothing.
When the Jets and the Blues start their series at Canada Life Centre, the ledger will show no advantage for the Jets, other than Game 7. But the storylines are tremendous.
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Yes, we will have Schenn vs. Schenn, which will be so neat to watch. And I don’t think there’s any debate that the highlight of this season was the 4 Nations Face-off, which featured a goaltenders’ battle of Hellebuyck versus Jordan Binnington — something we will witness this whole series. The styles are different, for sure, but the compete levels are comparable. And remember: the 4 Nations was just a single-game final (that went to overtime); this could be a seven-game series.
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The first game after the 4 Nations for both teams was on a Saturday in St. Louis, which ended in a Jets shootout victory. After that, Winnipeg was a respectable 17-8-1 to claim the Presidents’ Trophy. The Blues were the game’s best team for a while, which included a 12-game winning streak (that the Jets ended, by the way). The Blues lost only four games in regulation of their remaining 26.
And all that means — you guessed it — absolutely nothing.
You see, when it comes to pressure, the Blues don’t have much on them. They were a sub-.500 team on Feb. 22. They are playing with house money. And they will play that way.
In my opinion, so much of the pressure is on the Jets. After two disappointing first-round eliminations, the core of this team has worked so hard to erase those memories. Expectations have to reflect that the team with 116 points should win. But how this team manages the pressure, even as early as Saturday’s Game 1, will be the central storyline until the series is over.
The Jets have passed every test this season, this one might just be a little tougher to pass.
Winnipeg Jets playoff hype
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