Stanley Cup Playoffs: Western Conference final preview
Jets have too much depth to succumb to upstart Golden Knights
Imagine you're finding your way in your NHL career.
In the third season your team, the Boston Bruins, are one of the best in the business. But just as the stretch drive in the 2010-11 season is about to begin the Bruins trade you to the Atlanta Thrashers in a package deal with defenceman Mark Stuart, in exchange for forward Rich Peverley.
You play well for the Thrashers, scoring 11 times in 23 games, but Atlanta finishes 24th overall. Two months later, the Bruins win the Stanley Cup.
- Winnipeg deserves this Stanley Cup ride
- Stanley Cup Playoffs: Eastern Conference final preview
- Stanley Cup Playoffs: Full schedule and TV guide
You continue to improve. You make the United States for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Your franchise has moved to Winnipeg and when Andrew Ladd is dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2016 trade deadline, you become the Jets captain.
You become the heart and soul of the team, but since the Bruins decided to move you, you only have performed in four Stanley Cup playoff games.
Then this season happens. Everything comes together. The Jets finish second overall. No team has more wins at home. No team finished stronger in their final 20 games at 15-4-1.
The good times have continued in the playoffs as the Jets have advanced to the West final against the expansion and upset-minded Vegas Golden Knights. You're scratching a seven-year itch.
Your name is Blake Wheeler. The Jets are only halfway to winning a Stanley Cup. But right now there are plenty of NHL players who couldn't be happier for the popular 31-year-old Wheeler, a leader who never grouses, he just puts his nose to the grindstone.
Winnipeg vs. Vegas
Regular-season records:
- Winnipeg: 52-20-10 (114 points)
- Vegas: 51-24-7 (109 points)
Season series: Golden Knights won 2-1-0 (Jets 1-1-1)
- Nov. 10 @ Vegas — Golden Knights 5-2
- Dec. 1 @ Winnipeg — Jets 7-4
- Feb. 20 @ Winnipeg — Golden Knights 3-2 (OT)
West final storylines
1. The smiling assassin
Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is known for a grin or two peeking through his mask after a big save in a game. He's been smiling a lot through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The 33-year-old Fleury has three Stanley Cup rings and has been playing his best hockey in this his 14th NHL season. He has won eight of 10 starts, posting a league-best .951 save percentage and league-high four shutouts.
The Jets shooters had an easy time with Nashville Predators veteran goalie Pekka Rinne in the previous round, so Winnipeg can't afford to get flustered against Fleury in the West final.
2. A Mark of brilliance
Jets star Mark Scheifele leads all playoff performers with 11 goals. He set a series record with seven road goals against the Predators in the second round.
Scheifele and Paul Stastny have proven to be a solid one-two punch down the middle. Both scored twice in the series finale with Stastny scoring his third game winner in 12 post-season outings this spring.
They're offensive punch and strong defensive play will give the Jets an edge against Vegas.
3. How these teams were built
Twenty of the 24 of the Golden Knights who have played in the playoffs so far were taken in the expansion draft last June, Vegas general manager George McPhee plucked two others (Malcolm Subban, Ryan Carpenter) off waivers and two more (Ryan Reaves, Tomas Tatar) through trades.
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, on the other hand, inherited five players from Atlanta (Wheeler, Bryan Little, Toby Enstrom, Ben Chiarot, Dustin Byfuglien), drafted 11 (Scheifele, Patrick Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, Adam Lowry, Andrew Copp, Jacob Trouba, Connor Hellebuyck, Jack Roslovic, Tucker Poolman) signed four free agents (Mathieu Perreault, Brandon Tanev, Matt Hendricks, Steve Mason) and acquired four more through trades (Stastny, Joe Morrow, Tyler Myers, Joel Armia).
4. Who did the Jets give up in the expansion draft?
Through a three-way trade with the Golden Knights and Columbus Blue Jackets involving draft picks, the Jets lost 34-year-old Chris Thorburn in the expansion draft to Vegas. The native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., was an unrestricted free agent and wound up signing with the St. Louis Blues.
There are, however, a couple of Winnipeg sons returning home for this playoff series. Reaves, son of Winnipeg Blue Bombers legendary running back Willard Reaves, was born in Winnipeg and played junior for the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The Golden Knights shutdown centre Cody Eakin's dad, Grant (Butch) Eakin, was a tough customer in junior with the Winnipeg Clubs as well as a teammate of Lindy Ruff with the Lethbridge Broncos. Eakin's uncle, Bruce, played briefly for the Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings.
5. Canada's team
By advancing this far the Jets bandwagon will pick up supporters across the country and even more if they can squeeze past the Golden Knights and into the final.
If Winnipeg makes it to the Stanley Cup Final, it will become the sixth of seven NHL-based teams to do so in the past 25 seasons, making the Toronto Maple Leafs the only Canadian-based team who has not advanced past the conference finals.
Canadian Stanley Cup finalists since 1993
- 1992-93 — Montreal won Stanley Cup in five games against Los Angeles.
- 1993-94 — Vancouver lost final in seven games to New York Rangers.
- 2003-04 — Calgary lost final in seven games to Tampa Bay Lightning.
- 2005-06 — Edmonton lost final in seven games to Carolina Hurricanes.
- 2006-07 — Ottawa lost final in five games to Anaheim Ducks.
- 2010-11 — Vancouver lost final in seven games to Boston.
Prediction: Winnipeg in six. The Jets have too much depth up front and on the blue-line as well as team speed to succumb to the upstart Golden Knights.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
