Canadians still have a team to root for in NHL playoffs
NASHVILLE — Paul Stastny says his father Peter still talks about the overtime goal he scored in Game 7 for the Quebec Nordiques against the Montreal Canadiens in the 1985 playoffs.
While not quite as dramatic, the younger Stastny provided a performance on Thursday that Winnipeg fans won’t soon forget.
The veteran centre had two goals and an assist, Connor Hellebuyck made 36 saves, and the Jets beat the Nashville Predators 5-1 in Game 7 to advance to their first Western Conference final.
“As you get later in your career, you’ve just got to enjoy these moments,” Stastny said.
The 32-year-old, who waived his no-movement clause to come to Winnipeg from the St. Louis Blues prior to the trade deadline, finished with five goals and five assists in the series.
That output is even more impressive when adding in the struggles his young wingers — Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers — went through for long stretches.
“He’s produced big numbers,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. “His hockey sense is just off the charts on how to play under guys, when to get above them, when to make a play, when to not make a play.”
Stastny improved to 3-1 in four career Game 7s and upped his point total in those winner-take-all affairs to eight (four goals and four assists).
“I’m comfortable in these games,” he said. “I’d rather have (the puck) on my stick.”
Mark Scheifele also scored twice, including one into an empty net, while Tyler Myers had the other goal for Winnipeg. Kyle Connor and Blake Wheeler each had two assists.
“It was just great to see our group play our game,” Wheeler said. “That was our goal coming into this one, that — win or lose — we wanted to play our game.”
P.K. Subban replied for the Predators.
Pekka Rinne allowed two goals on seven shots before getting the hook for Nashville midway through the first period. Juuse Saros made 14 saves the rest of the way.
“I feel very much responsible for our season ending at this point,” Rinne said. “Tough to swallow, tough to understand.”
The Jets don’t have much time to soak of up the victory.
Winnipeg hosts the expansion Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday in Game 1 of the Western Conference final.
Back in Winnipeg, fans crowded downtown while chanting: “We Want the Cup!”
“We’ll enjoy it tonight,” Scheifele said. “Then back to business.”
In a roller-coaster slugfest of a series where neither team was able to really impose its will on the other for more than a period or two, Winnipeg jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a bad-angle shot from Myers at 8:41 of the first and never looked back.
Scheifele’s empty-netter was his playoff-leading 11th goal.