What Went Wrong: Jets Grounded by Golden Knights in Familiar Fashion

This has to be the longest that the first round has surpassed before finally getting its very first elimination. It looked like we would see all eight Division Semifinal series go at least six games. This was the 11th day of this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the third straight to feature at least one elimination game. The New York Islanders were the first to face elimination, avoided it on Tuesday. Next up was the Florida Panthers, they avoided it on Wednesday. The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Winnipeg Jets both faced elimination tonight, and while the Bolts stayed alive for one more game, the Jets couldn't, as they were taken down easily by the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the Pacific Division Semifinals.

So after 11 days, we have our first elimination, and it's the Winnipeg Jets who received the proverbial axe. Since moving to Winnipeg from Atlanta, the Jets have reached the playoffs six times in the 12 seasons played, with this year's appearance being their fifth in six years. We remember their mega run in 2018, they reached the Western Conference Final, only to be ousted in five games by the Vegas Golden Knights. With this loss, their skid continues: only one playoff series victory since that run. Oh, and regarding both of Winnipeg's series losses to Vegas, they won Game One each of those two times. Yikes.

So what went wrong? Well, some of the big boys didn't show up, but that's part of it. The main stars of that team were Mark Schiefele, Blake Wheeler, Josh Morrissey, and Kyle Connor (the only one of those four players who I never had on fantasy this year, shame). Wheeler did his thing; six points (2 G/4 A) in five games. Connor, not so much, only three points (2 G/A). As for Morrissey, that leads to another issue: injuries. Morrissey, a potential Norris candidate, left Game Three due to injury, and would be out for the rest of the series. He only had one point (an assist) all series. They would lose Schiefele in Game Four, he did not play in Game Five. Schiefele was Winnipeg's goal scoring leader in the regular season with 42. In the playoffs? Just one goal, and that served as his only point.

I have to mention this. Honestly, the Jets started to lose this series in Game Three, which actually saw them comeback from a 4-1 deficit to tie it late. However, Pierre-Luc Dubois committed a penalty with 2.2 seconds left in regulation, and that gave Vegas a power play in the first overtime. That was killed off, the game needed a second overtime period, but again, Dubois ended up in the box. The PP was killed off, but Vegas scored right after it ended. So yeah, Dubois cost the Jets, and with the series loss, he could be out of Winnipeg. Rumors are circling that Dubois could end up with the Montréal Canadiens; he'll be a RFA (restricted free agent) next season, and he'll be unrestricted after next year.

It's not just Dubois they'll have to worry about. Connor Hellebuyck (the 2020 Vezina winner) now has only one season left until he's a UFA, and the same goes for Schiefele and Wheeler. Nikolaj Ehlers (who only played one of the five games) has two years until he becomes a UFA, while Morrissey's there for the long run. The Jets have all summer to figure out what moves, if any, they have to make to prepare for 2023-24. Considering that this was their first season under head coach Rick Bowness, they should stick with their coach, but even so, it'll be quite the offseason for the Winnipeg Jets.

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