Cheveldayoff hopes Jets’ success is just the beginning

Post-season berth, GM says, should be ‘relished’ anyway, writes Ken Wiebe

Sense of relief ? Sure.

Source of pride? Absolutely.

But if you think Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is jumping for joy after returning to the playoffs, think again.

Of course, Cheveldayoff is happy to see his team back in the post-season after missing out in each of the past two springs.

The real work is just beginning for a franchise still searching for its first playoff victory.

“Everyone talks about the excitement of the playoffs and the opportunity. It’s why you play the game — to win the Stanley Cup,” Cheveldayoff said Sunday. “You need to punch your ticket to get to the next season here. (The regular season) is a grind. It’s 82 games, the ups and the downs, the injuries, all that goes into it, it’s a difficult thing to get to.

“For the lucky ones that do, it should be relished.”

The Jets (48-20-10) continue a four-game road trip Monday against the Ottawa Senators.

Unlike the last playoff appearance in 2015, when the Jets got into the post-season on the second-to-last game and were the eighth seed in the Western Conference, the expectations are higher on this group.

Not that the Jets were in that happy to be there category when they were swept by the Anaheim Ducks, but they basically emptied the tank just to get in. That’s not the case this time. “The players that have been around for a while and certainly the young players now know how hard it is to get to this point,” said Cheveldayoff. “The excitement level will certainly ramp up when the puck does drop here. Whether you’re the Presidents’ Trophy winner or squeak in by a point, you have that same opportunity to continue playing now.”

But the Jets placed higher expectations on themselves before training camp even started and they’ve dealt with them by focusing on the day ahead of them, as clichéd as that sounds.

Given that the Jets remain among the top teams in the NHL — they’re currently fifth in points with 106 — it’s clear the approach is serving them well.

And when the playoffs begin next week, the Jets won’t need to alter that approach one bit.

Success in the post-season doesn’t usually happen without having to overcome adversity and the Jets have ample experience on that front, as they’ve accumulated nearly 300 mangames lost due to injury.

Many of those injuries were of the long-term variety and were to some of the main drivers on the Jets, including Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba.

“There have been opportunities for players to play different roles or to get into the lineup. You have to embrace it and live in that moment,” said Cheveldayoff.