WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets soared into a promising new era in 2018.
Driven by a core comprised mostly of talented young players drafted and developed by the team, the Jets came within three games of making the Stanley Cup Final, generating the franchise’s first playoff success since it moved to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011 and was reborn.
That team included 21-year-old rookie Kyle Connor and 22-year-old Nikolaj Ehlers. Josh Morrissey, who would soon become a No. 1 defenceman, was 23 and in his second NHL season. Future captain Adam Lowry, top centre Mark Scheifele and all-world goalie Connor Hellebuyck had all recently turned 25.
What might a team like that accomplish?
With all that youth and potential, the Jets won two playoff rounds that magical 2018 spring before they were ambushed 4-1 by the first-year Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final.
Seven years later — and, remarkably, still with these six players — the Jets have won two playoff rounds since.
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“You know, as a younger player, you always hear the older players talk about how hard it is to just make the playoffs,” Morrissey said this week. “And how hard it is to have playoff success and actually have a chance to go on a run with the ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup. For me, going back to 2018, it’s my second year in the league and we go to the conference finals. I didn’t really understand at that point how hard it is to get there.
“Seven years later, I haven’t been back to the conference final or beyond. Definitely, it stokes the fire and provides a lot of motivation. You don’t know how many opportunities you get and what years you really have a chance.”
These Jets really have a chance. Still.
It isn’t a fluke that they claimed the Presidents’ Trophy this season or that they have won more games these past three years (154) than any other NHL team.
But winning in the playoffs is much more difficult, and this spring the Jets are again taking the hard way.
They rallied in an epic Game 7 victory over the St. Louis Blues in Round 1, the Jets’ first series win since 2021 and their first triumph in front of fans since 2018. And now they’re trying to rally against the Dallas Stars, who were soundly beaten 4-0 here Thursday but still lead the second-round series 3-2.
Game 6 is Saturday in Dallas.
“I love this group of guys,” Scheifele told Sportsnet before Game 4. “This team has been such a blast to be a part of for my whole career. And then this year has been one of the best years I’ve had with a group of guys. You know, it is a special group. It’s a special team. It’s an uphill climb right now, but there’s no other team I’d want to do this battle with.”
Between them, Scheifele, Morrissey, Ehlers, Connor, Lowry and Hellebuyck have played 4,183 games for the Jets. And zero for anyone else. Include their playoff totals, mostly in single-round increments, and these half-dozen players have logged more than 4,500 games for the franchise.
And they are still trying to get back to the conference final.
The Jets are 0-5 on the road these playoffs, and have endured an inconceivable nine straight playoff losses away from home since taking Game 1 two years ago against the Knights, who then won the next four.
“I’m just worrying about this year,” Jets coach Scott Arniel told reporters before Friday’s charter to Texas. “I know… every streak ends, whether that’s a good one or a bad one. And we’re planning on doing that tomorrow. We can’t do anything about what’s all behind us now; it’s just a case of us making sure that, you know, what comes on the ice tomorrow is the best product that we can bring. Continue what we did last night. There’s a lot of real positives there, and build on that and just put that forward.”
Arniel inherited a lot of good things from former head coach Rick Bowness, who hired and groomed Arniel to succeed him, which he did this season. But Arniel would probably like to give back the first half of the road losing streak.
“Yeah, it’s all his fault,” Arniel joked, noting that he was on the staff for all nine losses.
“Any experience you have, you know, there’s opportunities to learn from it,” Scheifele said. “There’s moments that you look back on and can reflect on and learn from. I think you definitely can look back at your prior experiences and get better from it.”
Overcoming a 3-2 playoff deficit is hard, though not as daunting as a 3-1 disadvantage.
As Morrissey said, you never know how many chances you will get. This may still be the best opportunity to win for Winnipeg’s golden group.
“I’m definitely trying to take advantage of the opportunity,” the defenceman, now 30, said. “You know, it’s seven years since I’ve moved past the second round. Definitely, I’m trying to seize the moment.”
Scheifele admitted it’s possible there is a mental aspect to overcome, along with the Stars, in Saturday’s road game.
“Maybe very, very subconsciously,” the 32-year-old said. “But in the moment, just go out and play a hockey game. That’s what we love to do — is go play in these big games and big moments. We all put pressure on ourselves. But at the end of the day, you’ve just got to go play a hockey game.
“There’s so many great friendships here. And like I said before, there’s no other guys that I’d want to go to battle with than these guys right now. Go enjoy it.”
While you can.
JETS STREAM – Scheifele said “my face hurts” when asked about the fracas that occurred late in Thursday’s game when Stars captain Jamie Benn knocked him down with a left-handed sucker punch as the Jet was being held by linesman Ryan Daisy. Benn was assessed a roughing minor and 10-minute misconduct with 6:32 remaining and, on Friday, fined $5,000 by the NHL.
“Not much of a fighter,” Scheifele said of himself. “I couldn’t really protect myself; my arms were pinned at my side. It definitely didn’t feel good.”
And the fine?
“I think that money goes towards the retired players’ fund,” he said. “So it’s great.”
