Jets defeat Kraken in Penultimate game of season
RECAP:
The Winnipeg Jets have secured at minimum the first two games of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canada Life Centre.
Thanks to a 4-3 home win over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night, the Jets will be hosting the Colorado Avalanche in the playoffs' opening round, which are expected to begin on Monday in Winnipeg.
With concerts, basketball games and other out-of-market matchups to consider, the logical start date is likely Monday, with the series' second game beginning on Wednesday. Things will then shift to Denver on Friday and Sunday, before a possible return to Winnipeg for Game 5.
Tuesday's showdown with the Kraken featured a blown lead, two goals from Kyle Connor and Connor Hellebuyck's 37th win of the season. He turned aside 20 of the 23 shots he faced and helped his teammates clinch that all-important home-ice advantage as playoff season rolled around.
Winnipeg pulled ahead first finished up the opening frame ahead 2-1. Nikolaj Ehlers added one early in the second period, but Seattle stormed back with two strikes to tie things up.
Needing a big third period, the Jets rallied on a Jared McCann minor, pulling back ahead in front of the sellout crowd at Canada Life Centre. Ehlers found Tyler Toffoli, whose 33rd of the season proved to be the winner, and final goal scored of the game.
Now, Winnipeg will look to close out the year with an eighth-straight win over the visiting Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
HIGHLIGHTS:
PHOTOS:
The extended photo library from Tuesday's game vs. Seattle is courtesy of James Carey Lauder:
QUOTABLE:
Nikolaj Ehlers on playing a full 82-game season:
It's nice, it's very nice. It's been a while and it's something that I don't set a lot of goals for myself and obviously you never know what happens during the season. It's not like I've asked for the injuries I've had in the past but that's part of it. And it sucks not playing but it's also sometimes good to go through stuff like that. So it's something that I'm very, very happy about.
Kyle Connor, on if he's playing his best hockey right now:
“I mean, you can say that for a lot of guys in here. You know, myself, I think we're all ramping up and building towards it. Our confidence is pretty high going into the playoffs. For everybody here and in our team game, we know what it takes to win. We kind of found ourselves an identity and I feel like we missed last month and, you know, really, really, showing what it takes to win. You know, we obviously went on a skid there where we lost five straight and we took a deep look at our game and what was working and what wasn't working. Personally as well, I think everybody kind of looked themselves in the mirror at that point, realizing that we needed better from everybody and we're just as hungry as everybody right now.”
WHAT’S NEXT:
Winnipeg will now close out its regular season schedule with an all-Canadian affair with the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night. That game will also be played at home, with the puck being dropped at 7:00 PM central time at Canada Life Centre.
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