First Opponent: The Blue

Back in 2011 for the NHL All-Star Game, the NHL worked with Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee to create 30 NHL Guardians superheroes who had a variety of superpowers. The NHL Guardian Project was a collaboration between the NHL, comics legend Stan Lee, and Guardian Media Entertainment to create a superhero for each NHL franchise at the time who would go on adventures across several multimedia platforms. The entire idea was a flop from the beginning with everyone involved losing money and credibility. That brings us to tonight's result where the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues both earned points, locking down the two wild card spots in the Western Conference for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs!

The image above is "The Blue", St. Louis' imagined guardian, and I plan on using those images throughout the playoffs because they're so ridiculous. In any case, the St. Louis Blues are the confirmed first-round opponent for the Winnipeg Jets, and it will be up to the Jets to play a different tune compared to the last time these two teams met in the playoffs back in 2019. The Jets had finished in second-place in the Central Division while St. Louis had finished in third-place, but both teams had 99 points and the Jets earned home-ice advantage via the tiebreakers. The series began in Winnipeg on April 10.

St. Louis won both games in Winnipeg while the Jets took both games in St. Louis. The teams returned to Winnipeg for Game Five where the Blues won 3-2, giving them the 3-2 series lead heading back to St. Louis. Game Six saw Jaden Schwartz score a hat trick while Jordan Binnington stood on his head to preserve a 3-2 victory, ousting the Jets from the playoffs in six games. For all the success the Jets had had in the regular season, it was a very short playoff appearance after a run to the Western Conference Final one year earlier.

Some of the key players the Blues had in the 2019 playoff run are still there - Brayden Schenn, Colton Parayko, Jordan Binnington, and Robert Thomas as examples - but the turnover has been extensive since that Stanley Cup-winning season. The Jets will have to keep an eye on some of the young guns the Blues have in Jordan Kyrou, Dylan Holloway, Pavel Buchnevich, and the aforementioned Robert Thomas. They need to be physical with St. Louis' blueline, leaning on guys like Cam Fowler, Justin Faulk, and Ryan Suter. And they must get to the net and buzz the crease to disrupt Jordan Binnington who could easily be lights-out dominant or completely unhinged.

St. Louis comes into the series on a 19-4-3 run in the 27 games since the Four Nations Face-Off, but one of those regulation losses came at the hands of the Jets. Since February 1, the Blues have the highest points percentage in the NHL - better than both Winnipeg and Washington who were aiming for the President's Trophy. Their late-season success helped them edge out the Calgary Flames for that final playoff spot after it seemed like they were dead in the water in January. It seems like the Blues have been playing playoff-type hockey for two months already, so can they keep that style of play going for another two weeks against the league's best team?

The Jets have clear advantages in all facets of their game: offensive game, defensive game, goaltending, and special teams. Coaching might be even as Scott Arniel has never led a team deep into the playoffs, but Jim Montgomery's teams like to wrap-up their playoffs early as well. I'm not saying that Winnipeg will lose, but the Blues could find some success with the right mix of players getting hot and some luck. However, those are variables that can be quelled very quickly by a rock-solid system like the Jets play.

After watching the Jets hold the Blues to 15 shots in their 3-1 win one week ago, I'm not confident in suggesting that the Blues will upset the NHL's top team. The Jets have the edge in virtually every statstical measurement, but I do think the Blues will be problematic at times. They've shown a knack for finding ways to win, they battle hard all over the ice, and winning is infectuous. The Jets, however, have shown that same attitude since Game One, and the bad taste from the early exit last year has yet to be washed from their mouths.

If you're not excited for this series as a Jets fan, it's time to start gearing up. The Winnipeg Whiteout begins this weekend, playoff fever will grip the city, and there will be hundreds of thousands of Manitobans cheering for their hockey heroes as the top-seeded team in the playoffs. Playoff season is three days away, and I'm picking the Jets to give "The Blue" and the Blues some sad songs in this series.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!