How the Jets' Playoff Hopes Faded in 104 Seconds

There was hope. Sure, the Jets were getting outplayed but Morgan Barron just took the lead and Elias Salomonsson registered his first assist in the National Hockey League. Just 80 seconds later, Tim Washe scores his second of the year. Alright, we’re tied. Momentum always goes back and forth in big games, maybe they can turn this around. Fast forward another 24 seconds, and Ryan Poehling scores his second in as many games against Winnipeg. Finally, just 90 seconds after that, Alex Killorn puts what seemed like a dagger in the Jets playoff hopes. Through 40 minutes of play, the Winnipeg Jets mustered just 7 shots on goal. The Ducks had 27. And 3 goals. 

What this loss means for the Jets’ playoff chances

Going into the Ducks game, the Jets were just five points behind Seattle with 20 games to go. With a win in regulation, their playoff odds would move from just over 15% to 20%. Certainly not a lock, but with the lowly New York Rangers coming to town Thursday the glimmer of hope was turning into a full ray. With the regulation loss, their chances fell to 10%. With the Jets securing points in six consecutive games following the Olympic break some folks around Jetsland started to believe the team could go on an incredible run and sneak into the second wild card spot. They needed to play near perfect hockey through the last 20 to make up the five point difference - but now the margin for error is even smaller.

The Jets were bound to lose one but the way it happened was more impactful than the actual result. In a huge game, on home ice, with all the stars in the lineup, the Jets didn’t show up. And while they’re technically not out of it, this one felt like a nail in the coffin. The first line was -3 (including the empty net) and failed to register a shot on goal. Meanwhile, the Ducks got three goals from their bottom six. The line combination of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Gabe Vilardi lost their minutes in high danger scoring chances 7-0 to Anaheim opposition. By contrast, Isak Rosen, Jonathan Toews, and Gus Nyquist actually registered four and surrendered none. Save for a couple of bright spots, the Jets were outplayed pretty much top to bottom.

The road ahead

The Jets woke up Wednesday morning still just 5 points out of a wild card spot with 19 to go. Despite the loss, they got a some help elsewhere with the Kraken, Kings, and Sharks dropping points. Talk about a missed opportunity. The Rangers come to town next, then the first place Avalanche. While the Jets didn’t absolutely need to win the Ducks game to stay in the race, it was essentially a playoff game for them and they did not pass the test.

To quote head coach Scott Arniel, the Jets "laid a big fat egg."