JETS HAVE NO CLUE WHO THEY WILL MEET IN THE FIRST ROUND
Opponent could be one of seven teams if Chicago goes on a near-perfect run
The end of the NHL’S regular season is drawing closer, but the outcome for top spot in the Central Division remains cloudy.
Despite dropping a 5-2 decision to the Dallas Stars on Monday, the Jets remain in control of their destiny, leading the Central by two points over the Nashville Predators (while holding a game in hand) and four points ahead of the St. Louis Blues (who are even in games played) with six games left in the regular season.
It’s a three-horse race for the top three spots, but the options of who the Jets might face in the opening round stretch to five or six clubs; that’s simply how tight things are for the two wild-card spots.
As it stands now, the Jets would face the Stars, who are three points up on the Colorado Avalanche, while the Minnesota Wild and Arizona Coyotes remain in the mix.
The Chicago Blackhawks would essentially have to run the table and get some help in order to make things even more interesting.
Of course, the Jets would love to finish first and nail down home-ice advantage during the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
During the last two seasons, the Jets have been a dominant team at Bell MTS Place, putting together a record of 25-10-4 on home ice this season with two games left to go.
Punching their ticket to the playoffs was the first benchmark the Jets were able to hit, reaching that goal with a decisive 5-0 victory over the Predators on Saturday.
That game was essentially the template the Jets plan to incorporate once the post-season begins, likely on April 10.
There’s plenty to determine during the final six games, but here is a closer look at whom the Jets might end up playing and what the matchup might look like:
JETS VS. STARS
Season series: Stars 3-1
The skinny: The Jets’ lone victory against the Stars came on Jan. 6, when Winnipeg had a dominant performance and won 5-1. The Stars are one of the best defensive teams in the NHL and that was on display in the other three meetings. Discipline has been an issue for the Jets against the Stars and Dallas made them pay, scoring eight times in 19 opportunities (42 per cent).
JETS VS. AVALANCHE
Season series: 2-2 (with one game remaining)
The skinny: The Colorado Avalanche have run hot and cold, but a 4-0-1 run put them back above the playoff line once again. Their depth has been tested of late, especially after the loss of captain Gabriel Landeskog to injury. Mikko Rantanen and Nathan Mackinnon have been outstanding and goalie Philipp Grubauer has made five consecutive starts, allowing only five goals during that stretch.
JETS VS. COYOTES
Season series: 1-1 (with one game remaining)
The skinny: The Jets won the first meeting in a high-scoring affair, but came out flat after an emotional win over the Vegas Golden Knights, losing 4-1. These two teams meet in the regular-season finale and there could be some serious playoff implications for both teams. The Coyotes got above the playoff line and appeared to be turning the corner, but had lost five consecutive games (0-3-2) going into Tuesday’s action.
JETS VS. WILD
Season series: Wild 4-0 (with one game remaining)
The skinny: On two occasions this season, the Jets were unable to bring home a pair of third-period leads against the Wild and in the other game Devan Dubnyk won the goaltending duel against Connor Hellebuyck. The teams met in the first round last spring and the rivalry could reach new heights with another post-season battle.
JETS VS. BLACKHAWKS
Season series: Jets 3-0 (with one game remaining)
The skinny: It’s the least likely matchup, but the Blackhawks have been playing much better in recent weeks and have bought into coach Jeremy Colliton’s system. And if they find a way to get in, they’ll be dangerous.
JETS VS. PREDATORS
Season series: Jets 3-1
The skinny: The Jets have beaten the Predators twice since the NHL trade deadline to swing the series in their favour and it’s almost always high-event hockey when they get together. These were the top two teams in the NHL last season and they produced an exciting seven-game series last spring that lived up to the advance billing.
JETS VS. BLUES
Season series: Jets 3-1
The skinny: It’s tough to put much stock in the numbers as three of the four games took place before goalie Jordan Binnington essentially saved the St. Louis Blues’ season and Vladimir Tarasenko regained his scoring touch. It’s been an impressive turnaround. A big question to answer will be if the Blues might be spent from digging themselves out of the early season hole or if they will be battle-tested and ready to go on a long post-season run.