Jets-Preds has makings of classic matchup

Nin Winnipeg o NHL playoff series has absolutely everything.

But the WinnipegNashville clash in Round 2 promises to come close.

As the Central Division foes took turns having at each other during the regular season — five games with an average of eight goals in each — fans and pundits alike took to social media to say, “More of this in the playoffs, please.”

Your wish, hockey world, their command.

“You’ve got one and two playing each other in the second round,” Jets defenceman Tyler Myers said Monday. “We know a lot of people were wanting this series and were very excited about it. Players are too.”

What about this makes it must-see TV? Let’s count the ways. The regular season says these are the top two teams in the NHL. OK, so the regular season has been known to tell the occasional baldfaced lie. For now, we believe it.

“The teams are pretty evenly matched,” Myers said. “It’s going to come down to who handles it the best and who wants to win more.”

Both teams are among the NHL’s top-10 in scoring, the Jets ranked second, the Predators at No. 8.

But it’s not like hockey purists will throw up their hands in disgust at the lack of defence. They’ve got that covered, too: Nashville ranked second in goals against, Winnipeg fifth.

It’s that defensive pressure that causes all hell to break loose on offence.

“They’re high-event games,” is how Jets coach Paul Maurice put it. “Because something is happening all the time. They’re either very physical, really fast, great saves — neither team is passive in how they play.”

It sounds like even the coaches are giddy at the entertainment possibilities.

“The easy nights to coach, you know exactly what’s happening with the puck and why and where is matchup everybody is on the ice,” Maurice said. “The change of possession in these games and the opportunities off those changes in possession are as fast as you’ ll see.”

The series features two of the three Vezina Trophy finalists, in the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck and Nashville’s Pekka Rinne.

That’s right, all those forced turnovers and all that offence will still have Hellebuyck and Rinne to contend with.

What’s the one thing as entertaining as a highlight-reel goal? A highlight-reel save, of course.

These may be the two loudest buildings in the league.

The Jets had the NHL’s best home record this season, an astonishing 32-7-2, and it’s not because downtown Winnipeg was too great a temptation for visiting players.

Nashville was fine at home, but get this: the Preds had the league’s best road record, at 25-9-7. Something’s gotta give. “Both barns are going to be very hostile,” Myers noted. “They’re going to be feeding off their crowd. We’re definitely going to be feeding of ours. It’s going to be fun to be a part of.”

What’s the one thing you need to make a great story? A villain, of course.

This series just happens to have one on each team.

Heck, Preds defenceman P.K. Subban has been despised by some of his own teammates, never mind what mayhem he’ll cause when he introduces himself to Mark Scheifele for the dozenth time.

“I wouldn’t say we’re focusing too much on one guy,” Myers said.

He was the last time these teams faced each other, dropping his gloves, grabbing two handfuls of jersey and pinning Subban to the glass after his run-in with the Jets’ star centre.

On the other blue-line — or wherever he happens to be at any given moment — is Dustin Byfuglien, who’s one thundering bodycheck from being the most hated man in Nashville.

“Yeah, it may not be a friendly series,” Maurice said, the hint of a grin on his face. “Who knows?”