The Winnipeg Jets are in the Western Conference Finals

NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 10: P.K. Subban #76 of the Nashville Predators congratulates goalie Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets after a 5-1 Jets Victory in Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 10, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 10: P.K. Subban #76 of the Nashville Predators congratulates goalie Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets after a 5-1 Jets Victory in Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 10, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

The Winnipeg Jets were able to defeat the Nashville Predators, the NHL’s President’s Trophy winners, in the Western Conference Semifinals in seven games.

Yes, it took seven games for the Winnipeg Jets to reach the Western Conference Finals. But defeating the President’s Trophy winners, not to mention the last WCF champion, is an accomplishment.  The Winnipeg Jets are moving on, and they’ll have to face the Vegas Golden Knights.

I’m not certain I expected this to fully happen. I believed in the Jets, sure, but Nashville was such a complete team, it’s hard to comprehend. The Winnipeg Jets are really, really good. Make no mistake. The series went seven games, as I expected. I noted that I believe the NHL’s Stanley Cup champion would come from this series, and I will not back down.

I fully expect the Winnipeg Jets to win the Stanley Cup at this point. According to regular season points, they are the best team remaining. Yes, that’s not all that goes into it, but still. They are a complete team. They won three games on the road against the best team in the NHL. What’s left to accomplish?

Connor Hellebuyck was as good as he was in the regular season. I told you not to expect Pekka Rinne to get pulled in Game Seven. He was. Rinne lasted less than eleven minutes en route to  being removed for Juuse Saros.

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It was not enough to push the Predators to victory after going down 2-0 early in the game. Rinne allowed two soft goals, however, and it felt like the right decision to pull him. Pekka Rinne is one of the best goalies in the league. It seemed, however, that the Winnipeg Jets balanced offense made him look mortal.

The Winnipeg Jets are the best team remaining in the NHL. The Vegas Golden Knights are the media’s darlings, an NHL expansion team blasting their expectations. They are about to find out what it really means to play.

The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks are not bad hockey teams. They are good hockey teams. They are not great hockey teams. The Jets are a great hockey team. Better than the Vegas Golden Knights.

Yes, the Jets went 1-2 against Vegas in the regular season, but they’re a better team. Better in goals against and goals for. Marc-Andre Fleury is a game-changer, not to be trifled with. But he can be beat.

Look, this won’t be a series to gloss over, and you can’t just look ahead to the Stanley Cup Finals. There will be plenty of preview to go over, however, so don’t you worry. This is the first time this team has reached the Conference Finals.

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As I have said ever step of the way, enjoy this run. Love this team. They’re quite lovable. We will deal with the Golden Knights when the time comes. As for now, the Winnipeg Jets have reached the Conference Finals, and they’ve secured home ice for the rest of the playoffs. Love it. Enjoy it. Revel in it. Never let go of it.