Jets Will Leave Behind Past Playoff Struggles, Here’s Why

The Winnipeg Jets secured their 50th win of the season with a 4-0 shutout against the New Jersey Devils. Earlier this week, they clinched the second playoff spot in the league. With a league-best 50-19-4 record, the Jets appear poised to be a serious playoff contender. In past seasons, Winnipeg has struggled with postseason consistency despite strong regular-season performances. However, this could be the year they make a deep run and pose a significant threat in the Western Conference.

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Hellebuyck is Putting Up Another Vezina Season

When the Jets drafted Connor Hellebuyck with their fifth-round draft pick in 2012, nobody thought that he would become their franchise netminder. Through his ten-year tenure with the team, he has never recorded under a .907 SV%. Ever since his rookie season, he has always recorded Vezina-level numbers. This season, Hellebuyck is the clear and obvious choice for the Vezina Trophy and a candidate for the Hart Trophy. The 31-year-old has a .925 SV% and a 2.02 GAA with seven shutouts.

Hellebuyck is one of the most clutch players in the Western Conference, up with names like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Nathan MacKinnon. 42 of the Jets’ 50 wins have come from Hellebuyck alone, an impressive feat in itself. If that isn’t impressive enough, he only has 15 out of 56 games played this season with below a .900 SV%. There is not a single starting goaltender that has any numbers close to what Hellebuyck is recording this season.

Jets’ Offense and Defense Are the Best in the League

With a +81-goal differential, the Jets have the league’s best combined offense and defense. When it comes to goal scoring, Winnipeg scored 253 (3rd best in the league) and allowed 172 (best in the league). If we look back to the current time period last year, the Jets only scored 222 goals and allowed 181. With a gain of +40 goal differential in just a span of a season, it looks like this team can only go up from here. They are the most well-balanced offensive/defensive team in the Western Conference, which will help in the post-season.

Team stats aren’t the only thing that is a game-changer this season. Multiple players on this team have single-handedly shifted their squad in the right direction. It is hard to go without mentioning Kyle Connor. Connor, 28, has 88 points on the year—37 goals and 51 assists—in 73 games. His accurate shot, 14.8% accuracy to exact, has boosted his line’s offensive numbers drastically. Linemate Mark Scheifele is also having himself a year, notching 80 points (36 goals and 44 assists). The combination of them has been an unstoppable force night after night.

Young Core Has Stepped Up Big Time

Outside of their veteran core, the Jets have seen growth in their U-30 players. One of the guys who sticks out the most is Cole Perfetti. The 23-year-old has 45 points—15 goals and 30 assists—in 73 games. He only played 71 games last season and recorded 38 points, a seven-point difference. He has been a huge contributor to the team’s successful powerplay units, recording 15 points, five of which are goals.

While he isn’t as young as Perfetti, Neal Pionk has greatly improved his offensive game. Pionk, 29, has 37 points—9 goals and 28 assists—in 66 games. The Nebraska native played a full 82-game season last year and recorded fewer points than what he currently has. Like Perfetti, Pionk is a leading helper on the power play. He has 11 points on the powerplay so far and four goals, the highest by a defense on Winnipeg this year. With his injury being labeled week-to-week, Pionk should return to the ice soon and play big minutes.

Why Does All of This Matter Anyway?

Out of the 32 teams in the NHL, there is not one that can come close to their offense, defense, and goaltending. May we see another 2022-23 Boston Bruins playoff choke? It isn’t impossible to witness another catastrophic failure, but it is highly unlikely. We rarely see teams of this caliber fall apart right in front of our eyes. Take a look at the 2021-22 Colorado Avalanche or the 2023-24 Florida Panthers. One thing that set them apart from everyone else was their resistance on both ends of the ice. Winnipeg has even better stats than both of these teams. In summary, they’re destined for greatness this postseason.

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