Winnipeg Jets clinch first-ever Central Division title
The Winnipeg Jets are set to have home-ice advantage for at least the first two round of the playoffs, as they’ve clinched the top spot in the Central Division.
The Jets clinched the top spot in the division thanks to their 5-4 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Winnipeg found themselves down 2-0 after the first period of the game, but goals from Nino Niedereiter and Kyle Connor, and two from Josh Morrissey, got the game to a 4-4 tie at the end of three periods, giving them the point they needed to clinch, along with one more with the win for good measure.
Entering the night, Winnipeg either needed a win or overtime loss over the Blackhawks, or for the Dallas Stars to not win in regulation against the Utah Hockey Club in order to clinch the division. The clinch also confirms another first round series, as the Stars and the Colorado Avalanche have secured the second and third seed in the division.
The result on Saturday gave the Jets a eight-point advantage on the Stars, and with the Stars only having three games remaining including Saturday’s game against Utah, they are unable to overtake the Jets. The Stars did have the opportunity to have a tiebreaker in regulation wins, which is why the previous six-point gap wasn’t enough for the Jets to clinch.
The Jets clinch their first ever division title since the league underwent the current realignment format in 2013, and also their first since the team relocated to Winnipeg in 2011. They did win one Southeast Division title as the Atlanta Thrashers in 2006-07, which was also the Thrashers only playoff appearance in their 11-season history.
With the Jets securing first, that most likely guarantees them a matchup against either the Minnesota Wild or the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs, with a slight chance of it being the Calgary Flames, since they are the only team outside of the Western Conference playoff picture to not be eliminated yet. However, with both the Western Conference title and wild card spots up for grabs, the Jets’ first round opponent is not locked yet.