Subscribe
Follow Us
The Winnipeg Jets lost to the Dallas Stars 2-1 in overtime in Game 6 to end their Stanley Cup Playoffs series. After avoiding elimination in Game 5 with a shutout win at home, Winnipeg fell in a tight Game 6. After winning the Presidents' Trophy for top record in the regular season, they have a lot of questions to answer. Who is most to blame for the Jets' season ending in the second round?
Game 6 ended when Thomas Harley beat Connor Hellebuyck for a power-play goal early in the overtime period. Mark Scheifele was in the penalty box after a tripping call at the end of the third, but he won't be on our list. Not only was he second on the Jets with five points, but he also played on Saturday after a family tragedy. The Jets would not have this competitive window without Scheifele, and he deserves credit for his excellent series.
So, who is to blame for the Jets losing to the Stars?
Cole Perfetti needs to step up
A former top-ten pick in the NHL Draft, Cole Perfetti has been a key part of the Jets' offense in recent years. He posted his first 50-point season this year and was riding into the second round on a high. In the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he scored three goals and added two assists, including a late-game tying goal to send Game 7 to overtime. But he was silenced in the second round, which could be a huge problem.
The Jets need Perfetti to be a dominant playoff performer, especially if this offseason plays out as many expect. Nikolaj Ehlers could leave in free agency, and if he does not, that could necessitate a Gabe Vilardi trade. Either player leaving pushes Perfetti up the lineup and into big playoff situations. This second-round series did not prove he is ready for that promotion, with just one assist in six games.
The Jets finally saw the real Connor Hellebuyck at the end
Throughout the first round, the conversation was about Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck and his struggles on the road. The presumptive Vezina Trophy winner was sensational in Game 5 at home and Game 6 on the road, ending those conversations. That should end those conversations for next year, but this series still was not perfect. For the unanimous best goalie in the world, the playoffs cannot be filled with moral victories.
The Jets got their guy playing his best in the situations that mattered in the final two games of the season. At the end of it all, it was on their offense to win Game 6 and push the series back to Winnipeg. But Jake Oettinger outdueled Hellebuyck all series long, outside of Game 5, and that was the difference. Team USA has a big choice to make when the Olympics roll around in February, even with Hellebuyck's undeniable regular-season greatness.
An entire line gets wiped out
Jets coach Scott Arniel rolled out Brandon Tanev, Alex Iafallo, and Morgan Barron as his fourth line for the duration of the series. That group combined for one point, an Iafallo assist, in the six games. While no one is expecting them to stuff the score sheet, they cannot be net negatives, which this group was. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are all about depth and getting scoring from everyone. The Jets did not get that.
Tanev came back to the Jets from the Seattle Kraken at the NHL trade deadline and is a free agent at the end of the year. Barron is a restricted free agent, so he will likely be back with the team. And Iafallo recently got an extension to keep him in Winnipeg for three years at $3.67 million per season. He needs to produce more offensively for that price tag.
