Jets Struggle to Take Off in Playoffs

The Winnipeg Jets are no strangers to playoff heartbreak at this point, but before the postseason, there was reason to believe that this year would be different.

The Jets put together arguably their best season in franchise history, winning the Presidents' Trophy for the best regular-season team as Connor Hellebuyck put up fantastic numbers in net. If they could play like that in the postseason, they'd be well-positioned for a deep playoff run.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

The Jets were eliminated from the playoffs with a 2-1 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars Saturday night in Game 6. Winnipeg joined the long list of Presidents' Trophy winners to bow out of the playoffs prematurely, but there's far more than superstition to blame for this disappointment.

It's impossible to talk about the Jets' playoff performance without talking about Hellebuyck's struggles. The likely Vezina Trophy winner simply wasn't good enough throughout the postseason as he finished with a .866 save percentage and 3.08 goals against average, and even two shutouts in Games 2 and 5 against the Stars weren't enough to save him. Hellebuyck has struggled in the playoffs for years now, but his performance this year was especially disappointing.

Additionally, Hellebuyck was the poster child for the Jets' other major weakness this postseason: their terrible play on the road. The star goalie finished the postseason with an atrocious .809 save percentage and a 5.06 goals against average away from Canada Life Centre. Winnipeg's 0-6 road record doesn't fall entirely on Hellebuyck, though, as nine goals in six games simply isn't good enough.

Speaking of scoring, that was also an issue for Winnipeg throughout the playoffs. Kyle Connor was outstanding with 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 13 games, as was Mark Scheifele with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 11 games. Other key players, however, weren't as prolific, with Alex Iafallo (two points in 13 games) and Gabe Vilardi (four points in nine games) having particularly rough showings.

With just one playoff series win in the past three years, the Jets seemingly struggle to bring their A-game to the biggest stage. Even that one win, which came against the St. Louis Blues in this year's first round, took an absolute miracle in Game 7.

A roster headlined by Hellebuyck, Connor, Scheifele and more really should be competing for Stanley Cups, but it's clear Winnipeg still has work to do.