Jets in Final 4
WINNIPEG ADVANCES TO KEEP HOPES ALIVE FOR AN END TO CANADA’S LONG STANLEY CUP DROUGHT
In this unbelievable battle between Central Division heavyweights, it was the Winnipeg Jets who finally delivered the knockout punch.
In a battle between the top two teams in the NHL during the regular season, neither team was able to string together consecutive victories.
But after stealing homeice advantage in the series opener, the Jets didn’t need to win two in a row against the Nashville Predators.
Thanks to a fast start and a sound defensive effort, the Jets eliminated the Presidents’ Trophy winners with a 5-1 triumph in Game 7 on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena.
There won’t be much time to enjoy the victory as Game 1 of the Western Conference final against the Vegas Golden Knights goes on Saturday at Bell MTS Place (7 p.m. ET).
One of the strangest storylines in this series is that the road team won five of the seven games, including the clincher.
A big reason the Jets were able to be road warriors in this series was the solid play of goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
Looking nothing like a playoff newbie, Hellebuyck stood tall, finishing with 36 saves in Game 7.
Seeking a fast start, the Jets were able to score twice before the game was 11 minutes old, getting goals just over two minutes apart from Tyler Myers and Paul Stastny.
The ice-breaker can only be described as a softie, as Myers caught Predators goalie Pekka Rinne cheating off the post and scored from a sharp angle near the goalline.
On the second goal, Stastny was able to shovel home his own rebound after Rinne was unable to corral his initial shot.
After allowing two goals on seven shots on goal, Rinne was pulled in favour of Predators backup Juuse Saros.
It was an unexpected turn of events for Rinne, who provided a 34-save shutout to keep the Predators’ season alive in Game 6.
The move provided a bit of a spark for the Predators, who got back into the game after Jets left-winger Kyle Connor was called for crosschecking defenceman P.K. Subban.
Although Subban fell to the ground easily, it was the type of offensive-zone minor that can be avoided.
Naturally, the Predators made the Jets pay, cutting into the lead when Subban blasted home a slapper from the point.
For Subban, it was his fourth goal of the series — and his fourth with the manadvantage.
The Jets were able to get out of the first period with a one-goal cushion and following a strong second, they extended the lead on a broken play.
Connor lost the puck after entering the offensive zone, but the puck ended up on the stick of Jets captain Blake Wheeler, who found linemate Mark Scheifele for a one-timer with 2:10 left in the second period.
Scheifele added an emptynetter with 2:33 to go, giving him 11 goals, which moved him past Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel for the league lead.
Scheifele had a remarkable series for the Jets, producing seven goals and 11 points in the seven games against the Predators.
Speaking of players who made an impact in the series, Stastny was a force, showing exactly why he was at the top of GM Kevin Cheveldayoff ’s wish list at the NHL trade deadline.
Playing with the composure of the veteran that he is, Stastny chipped in two goals and an assist in the elimination game while playing steady defensively.
With the Jets up 3-1 in the third period, Stastny scored a power play goal on a rebound to provide a valuable insurance marker with Ryan Johansen in the box serving a slashing minor.
Stastny, who was acquired from the St. Louis Blues for a 2018 first-rounder and prospect Erik Foley, is up to six goals and 14 points in 12 games during the post-season.
While the Predators were able to stave off elimination in Game 6 with a 4-0 victory, Thursday marked the first time the Jets found themselves with their collective backs against the wall.
And they were not about to be burdened by the weight of expectations.
“That would be the pessimist’s view of this game. The optimist would look at it as a great opportunity,” said Wheeler. “You look at the Stanley Cup champs last year, they had to win a couple of big games to get to where they were going. It would probably be a little bit different if you came into this series expecting it to be an easy series, a four-or five-game series. Our side came in fully expecting seven games.
“Obviously, we would like to have won (Game 6), but that’s a heck of a team over there. They got to where they were last year for a reason. They won the Presidents’ Trophy this year for a reason. If you get to where you want to go, you’re going to have to win big games.”
Jets head coach Paul Maurice wasn’t expecting nerves to be a factor, despite the relative inexperience his group had in both the playoffs and in Game 7s at this level.
“You don’t get to pro sports, or get to this level, without figuring out a way to really enjoy these types of environments,” said Maurice. “You have a version of them when you’re 16, 17, 18. These guys all played huge games — it’s just a different stage but the idea is still the same.
“It’s good day in your life.”