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NHL playoffs 2018: Jets vs. Wild preview and prediction

By Thomas Brandwood

ST. PAUL, MN - JANUARY 13: Devan Dubnyk #40 of the Minnesota Wild defends his goal against Kyle Connor #81 of the Winnipeg Jets during the game at the Xcel Energy Center on January 13, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - JANUARY 13: Devan Dubnyk #40 of the Minnesota Wild defends his goal against Kyle Connor #81 of the Winnipeg Jets during the game at the Xcel Energy Center on January 13, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Minnesota Wild head into the 2018 NHL playoffs as heavy underdogs. They take on the soaring Jets of Winnipeg, the NHL’s hottest team which heads into the post season on a five-game win streak.

The second seed in the NHL’s Central Division, the Winnipeg Jets have emerged as a true Stanley Cup contender. Ending the season as victors of nine of their past 10 games, the Jets enter the postseason playing their best hockey of the season.

Finishing the year with 113 points, a franchise record and second in the entire NHL, the Jets will take on the third seed in the Central Division, the Minnesota Wild. The Wild lost key players to injury in the later stages of the season, but still had a solid year. They finished the season with 101 points.

Top scorers for the Jets include captain Blake Wheeler, Patrick Laine and Mark Scheifefle. Wheeler had his best season to date, recording 23 goals and 68 assists, tied with only Claude Giroux for the league lead in assists.

Laine tucked 44 goals, which puts him behind only the Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin for the league lead, while hitting 70 points for the first time in his career. Mark Scheifele, meanwhile, missed time to injury but was still a point per game player. He notched 60 points in as many games.

ST PAUL, MN – OCTOBER 31: Goalie Alex Stalock takes on Jets captain on a 1 on 1 situation.
ST PAUL, MN – OCTOBER 31: Goalie Alex Stalock takes on Jets captain on a 1 on 1 situation. /

For the Wild, veteran Eric Staal leads the offensive charge. In a rekindling of his career, Staal recorded 42 goals and 34 assists, totaling 76 points. Mikeal Granlund, who had a fine season of 67 points in 77 games, and Jason Zucker, who played in all 82 games and notched 64 point,s back up Staal in the Wild’s scoring department.

The two teams met four times in the NHL’s regular season, and the Jets had the clear upper hand with a 3-1 record. Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck played in all four games, while top scorers for the Jets in the season series was Wheeler and Scheifele, who each recorded six points.

For the Wild, starting goaltender Devon Dubnyk played against the Jets in two of the four games, recording the only win. Backup Alex Stalock played in the other two games and struggled, with a 4.59 goals against average and two losses against the Jets this season. It should be noted that two of the Wild’s three losses that came to the Jets were by just a single goal.

Statistically, the Wild are fairly behind the Jets in all major categories. Winnipeg ranks in the top five in the NHL in goals for per game, goals against per game, and power-play percentage. The wild rank 11th, 11th, and 17th, respectively, among the noted categories.

Injuries to the Wild’s key players also put them at a disadvantage. Stud defender and team leader Ryan Suter, who had 51 points in 78 games on the campaign, is out indefinitely with a fractured fibula. Fellow defender Jared Spurgeon is currently out day to day, and likely will play in either Game 1 or 2 of the first round. Suter was averaging a team high 26:47 of ice time per game, and the Wild lack the depth to makeup that nearly half a game worth of ice time Suter usually plays.

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The Winnipeg Jets are a true Stanley Cup contender, and as the series rages on expect them to pull away from there opponent. The Jets have a more stout defense, deeper and more potent offense, and a goalie coming off a career year. This could be a tough series for the Wild to keep up in, but hey, it is the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Prediction: Jets in 5.

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