NHL Power Rankings: Lightning strikes, Flames burn out

NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 24: Ondrej Palat
NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 24: Ondrej Palat /
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WINNIPEG, MB – MARCH 25: Mark Scheifele
WINNIPEG, MB – MARCH 25: Mark Scheifele /

5. Winnipeg Jets (-)

Whenever people talk about the Winnipeg Jets they talk about Patrik Laine, for good reason. He has racked up the goals once again and is proving that he will be an elite goal scorer for years to come. The player who can get overshadowed by the Laine talk is Blake Wheeler. Wheeler quietly has collected 85 points this season. If Winnipeg wants to make noise in the playoffs this year it obviously needs players like Wheeler, Mark Schiefele and Laine to keep producing but also continued strong play from Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck is the solution in net Winnipeg has long been looking for.

Every team wants to win its division but honestly, the Winnipeg Jets might not want to catch the Nashville Predators. The Jets would rather face the Minnesota Wild in the first round instead of having to cross over and play one of the tough Pacific teams coming out of the wild card. Winnipeg has been hot recently, winning six straight. They have beat the Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins. The Jets have six games left to catch the Predators. They get started against the Chicago Blackhawks before playing the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens. Then the Jets return home to face the Calgary Flames before closing out the season against the Chicago Blackhawks.