Winnipeg Jets: Looking Ahead in the NHL Playoffs
The Winnipeg Jets have their hands full with the Nashville Predators. The reigning President’s Trophy winners and Western Conference Champions are down 1-2 in the series, but it’s far from over. The Jets shouldn’t be looking past them at all, but we should.
The Winnipeg Jets are not doing this, but let’s get this out of the way. Glossing over an opponent is bad. Glossing over an opponent as impressive as the 2017-2018 Nashville Predators is downright foolish. The Winnipeg Jets are not doing that. I hope.
The Jets would be lucky to get past the Predators and advance to the Western Conference Finals. They just might get lucky, but still, it’s a challenge that requires their full focus. It is not a challenge, however, that requires my full focus.
That being said, I’d like to see what might be coming to the White Out in the near future. The San Jose Sharks, a team that I’ve been underrating since 2012, are currently fighting it out against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Yes, a dominant force in an expansion team is surprising. They took a 25 year old, one with two full seasons and a career-high of 9 goals, and turned him into a 43 goal scorer. I have no idea how. Coaching? Sorcery? Wayne’s Secret Stuff?
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Whatever. They did it. Looking at that roster, I thought they’d have a solid defensive group and little else. A good goalie. Somehow they got a career year from David Perron, something half the NHL has tried to do.
They’re a tough team. Almost inarguably better than San Jose, but the Sharks tied their second round series at 2-2. A knock down, drag out series is exactly what the Winnipeg Jets should hope for.
Neither the Sharks nor the Golden Knights would make for an easy Western Conference Finals Opponent. They might both be easier than facing the Nashville Predators, though.
For my money (it’s not a lot, I assure you), the Predators are the best team in the NHL. That’s why I predicted the Stanley Cup Champion to come from this current series. If it’s the rest of my money, give me San Jose in the Conference Finals (I’ve since doubled that money, you know).
The Winnipeg Jets went 2-1 with a zero goal differential against San Jose this season, and 1-1-1 with a -1 goal differential against the Golden Knights. That’s, uh, negligible. The Sharks have scored a few more goals during the postseason than the Knights, but have allowed eight more in the same number of contests.
Vegas has been super stout, allowing a full goal per game fewer than the next closest team in the playoffs (of second round teams). Marc-Andre Fleury, a playoff pariah during his first few years with the Penguins, has been as good as anyone in the playoffs. I can’t say the same for *checks notes* Martin Jones? He’s fine. He doesn’t scare me.
Honestly, neither of those teams scare me. They should scare the Jets, who need to play as hard as ever, don’t get me wrong. But they’re not the Predators. They might not even be as strong as what awaits them in the Stanley Cup Finals, should they make it.
I doubt anyone’s surprised at my conclusion. Yes, San Jose has more playoff experience, and they’re playing Vegas tough. The Golden Knights went 3-0-1 during the regular season against their opponent, yet find themselves tied at 2-2. Maybe playoff demons persist for the perpetual underperformers, the Sharks.
I’d have ghosts and demons too if I blew a 3-0 lead to the LA Kings. They’re choke artists. Let’s hope they can choke next round, though.