As good as the Winnipeg Jets have been, winning nine of 12 games to close out March, everything the team has fought for over the first six months of the schedule could come down to the next two games.
It would be somewhat of a misrepresentation to say Winnipeg is currently clinging to top spot in the Central Division — but a six-point lead over Dallas could evaporate rather quickly this week. And then a narrative of fighting for their first-place lives would be accurate.
The white hot Stars are playing Seattle, Nashville, Pittsburgh, and struggling Minnesota over the next seven nights. In contrast, the Jets will be going into two of the most difficult buildings in the NHL to take on a pair of opponents they have yet to beat this season.
The LA Kings smothered the Jets to the tune of a season-low 14 shots back in late November at CryptoDot.Com Arena. Winnipeg didn’t muster up a whole lot more offence six weeks later at Canada Centre, with just 19 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss.
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The Jets have also dropped eight straight regular season decisions to the Vegas Golden Knights.
So Tinseltown and the Strip are where the blacktop ends and the playoff-style gravel road begins, figuratively speaking.
Tuesday and Thursday night are going to determine just how battle-tested the Winnipeg Jets are.
And as much as Scott Arniel has tried to limit Connor Hellebuyck to no more than four consecutive starts this season, circumstances would dictate the need to be going with your very best until it’s “mission accomplished.”
For everything Winnipeg has achieved to date… April is finally here. A time of reckoning.
These final two-and-a-half weeks of the season will be the perfect platform for the Jets to re-enforce their status as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
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