Do the Winnipeg Jets have what it takes to play spoiler in the playoffs?
Frank Seravalli was joined by Mike McKenna to discuss the Western Conference playoff race and whether the Winnipeg Jets have what it takes to win a playoff series on the latest episode of Daily Faceoff Live.
Frank Seravalli: The Winnipeg Jets are a team with a ton of talent, you and I both picked them to win the Stanley Cup last year, this year they have a shot at least. They’re inching closer to punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs. They had an enormous win on Monday evening to really set themselves up after a series of them where they’ve gotten their game back in order. Their magic number, now down to one. What do you make of the recent surge of the Jets and really more importantly with Connor Hellebuyck in net and the way that he’s played, we’ll touch on that a bit moving forward in the Blue Paint but what do you think of their chances to play spoiler in round one of the playoffs?
Mike McKenna: Well, we’ll see, I’ve had a hard time believing Winnipeg at any point in this season. We’ll talk about this with regard to Connor Hellebuyck. But unless he allows two or less goals, they have a tough time winning games. It just depends on the top guys in Winnipeg, whether they bring it every night. When Wheeler and Scheifele and Dubois and Kyle Connor are off the scoreboard they’re not going to go anywhere, so where is that playoff experience going to come from?
In the past it hasn’t really happened, so I don’t have a ton of confidence in Winnipeg They’ve got to beat Minnesota tonight to make the playoffs because Colorado is left on the schedule going into Colorado, I don’t like that matchup because Nashville’s got to wait a little bit before they play. The one thing I thought was encouraging from the other night against the Sharks was that the big guys did show up, that has to happen but without the big dogs I don’t know how they’re going to figure against Colorado or Vegas.
Frank Seravalli: The Jets clinch the playoffs if they get one more point or Nashville loses one more point. So the fact that we’re even still talking about the Predators at this point in the season, having a chance as small as it might be to get in. Kind of amazing considering that this team sold off of Tanner Jeannot and Mattias Ekholm ad Nino Niedderreiter and we can go through the list. It’s also the injuries that they’ve dealt with along the way I’ve seen a ton of heart from the Predators that I don’t think anyone really saw coming.
Mike McKenna: Yeah, I don’t think so, I think a lot of it has been just the enthusiasm there Frank, you look at Tommy Novak and some of the younger players there that have done a great job for that team. It hasn’t been just the Josi show like it was last year or just the Saros show this year even though he has been a huge part. I think there’s just a vibe from Nashville, at least they seem like they’re having a good time there.
Frank Seravalli: Yeah, what does that say about the future of head coach John Hynes, I think there’s been a lot of rumblings over the last couple of months. You know, GM change obviously with Barry Trotz incoming who will probably put his own stamp on it and John Hynes could be out of work. But then you see this late season surge and you’re like that seems like a team that is still connected at the hip with the coach.
Mike McKenna: Yeah, I don’t feel any trepidation about Hynes really with Barry Trotz coming in and says hey he’s out of here. Especially in a transitional period, do you want to go with somebody different. Typically in these situations, like Blashill in Detroit a couple of years ago, he stayed through the rebuild basically as long as Yzerman can hold on and things didn’t get better. I think Hynes has that same rope in Nashville.
Frank Seravalli: It’s all over the league really, you look at the Anaheim Ducks as well. Dallas Eakins in the last year of his contract, do you really want to go out and find a new coach when you can just keep the same guy for largely the same collection of players that are going to be coming along next.