For The First Time

It certainly wasn't easy on this night, but a 5-4 victory in the shootout over the Chicago Blackhawks has put the Winnipeg Jets in a position that's not familiar to them or their fans. With the victory, the Jets move to 114 points with two games to play, and that total guarantees them that they'll win the the Central Division and be the top-seeded team in the Western Conference, guaranteeing home-ice advantage for the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For a team whose name is "Jets", it's hard to imagine that this is the first time in that rarified air of first place, but tonight's win marks the first time in Winnipeg Jets history that they'll sit atop the division to finish a season. Of course, that also places a target on their backs that can only be erased with a deep playoff run, and they'll get a chance to make that run when the playoffs start on Saturday, April 19.

Some will point back to the 2006-07 season where the Atlanta Thrashers finished atop the Southeast Division which led to their only playoff appearance that lasted just four games, but we'll leave that history in Atlanta. That 43-win season landed them at 97 points with a 43-28-11 season, four points better than the Tampa Bay Lightning, but the 42-win, 94-point New York Rangers made short work of the Thrashers in the opening round of the playoffs, outscoring them 17-6 in the four games including a combined 11-2 drubbing in New York.

For Jets fans, the comparisons between that team and this year's Jets squad are few, but the one that stands out is more coincidental than anything. While Marian Hossa led the Thrashers with 43 goals and 100 points in 2006-07 as a 27 year-old, Kyle Connor is leading the Jets with 41 goals and 96 points as a 27 year-old. There are no real other comparables, so we'll leave it there as both teams got big production out of a 27 year-old winger. Instead, let's focus on why the Jets won't replicate that four-game playoff appearance.

For the bumps that the Jets showed tonight against Chicago, the previous games against the Blues and Stars were statements. Add in the game against the Washington Capitals, and the Jets have beaten some very good teams in the last few weeks. If there's one thing that seems to afflict the Jets more than anything this season, it's their annoying ability to play to the level of their opponents as they did tonight in Chicago. In the playoffs, I suspect that they'll find that next gear whether they face St. Louis or Minnesota.

Let me be as transparent as glass: nothing is guaranteed for the Jets. They'll need to be the first team to win sixteen games if they want a Stanley Cup parade down Portage Avenue, and that starts with being ready to go next Saturday when the playoffs begin. There are no "we'll get them next time" games that can be played - every game needs to be treated as a must-win beginning next weekend. The Jets can't play down to their opponents' intensity or skill level; rather, they have to control the pace and play unlike how they played against Colorado last season in that opening-round debacle. That was a nightmare, and no one wants that again.

For the next week, the Jets have one last task to accomplish: one point or one win to secure the President's Trophy for the first time in franchise history as well. Washington has 109 points with three games to play, so Winnipeg could wrap up the top spot in the NHL with a win over the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow. That would allow enough time for Bill Daly to fly into Winnipeg for Wednesday's game against Anaheim where he can present the trophy to the team. Personally, I'm hoping the Jets raise their game for Edmonton because they could potentially meet if things go well for both Canadian teams.

It's been a big season, Jets fans, and there's still a long postseason that both the team and fans want. One win over Edmonton or Anaheim will give the Jets a major team trophy for the first time in franchise history. I will admit that it's not the trophy that the team wants, but it's one that shows just how good this team has consistently been this season. That's gotta count for something.

Starting next weekend, it's the first to sixteen wins. Consistent excellence will be needed in every game played.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!