Knights-Jets matchup: Who has the edge at each position?
The Golden Knights went through Winnipeg to reach the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season.
If they want to make owner Bill Foley’s “Cup in six” proclamation come true, they will have to do so again.
There are plenty of similarities between the sides. The Knights and Jets missed the playoffs last season, made a coaching change and returned to the postseason.
There are also a lot of differences. The Knights (51-22-9) were one of the NHL’s most consistent teams on their way to the Pacific Division crown and top seed in the Western Conference. The Jets (46-33-3) started well but backslid in the second half, clinching the second wild-card spot in their second-to-last game.
Here’s how they match up entering their first-round series, which begins Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena:
Forwards
The Jets bring plenty of firepower up front.
Center Mark Scheifele finished with 42 goals. Left wing Kyle Connor scored 31, along with 80 points. Center Pierre-Luc Dubois (63 points), right wing Blake Wheeler (55) and left wing Nikolaj Ehlers (38 in 45 games) also are dangerous.
Where the Knights have an edge is their depth and two-way ability. They had 11 forwards finish with 13 or more goals. Winnipeg had five. The Knights also have defensive stalwarts such as center William Karlsson and left wing Reilly Smith, while Scheifele and Connor were only plus-1 at five-on-five despite their production.
Advantage: Knights
Defensemen
The Knights have one of the NHL’s top blue lines when healthy.
Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore bring a dynamic element from the back end and are coming off outstanding seasons. Pietrangelo set a franchise record and matched his career high with 54 points. Theodore scored 41 points in 55 games. Their respective partners, Alec Martinez and Brayden McNabb, complement the two well, and Nic Hague and Zach Whitecloud form a strong third pair.
The Jets also have a strong standout in Josh Morrissey, who scored 76 points in 78 games, and decent depth that includes former Knight Nate Schmidt. It’s a good group, but doesn’t measure up in this series.
Advantage: Knights
Goaltending
This should be fun.
Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck is a premier starter, with three All-Star Game appearances and the 2020 Vezina Trophy season on his resume. And who of all people is he likely facing? His backup with the Jets for three seasons, Laurent Brossoit.
Hellebuyck is capable of stealing a series, as his .921 save percentage in the playoffs suggests. It will be up to Brossoit, who has never made a postseason start, to match him. It might not be as lopsided a matchup as one might think. Brossoit, after having offseason hip surgery to fix an issue that has plagued him since junior hockey, posted a .927 save percentage, third-best among goaltenders with at least 10 starts.
Advantage: Jets
Special teams
This is where the Knights might be most vulnerable. It’s just unclear whether the Jets can take advantage.
The Knights’ special teams were below average all season but crumbled after the All-Star break. Their power play ranked 28th in their final 31 games, and their penalty kill was 26th.
Winnipeg’s power play was still worse. The Jets were 30th after the break and 23rd overall despite their weaponry. Their saving grace might be a standout penalty kill that finished sixth-best in the NHL.
Advantage: Jets
Intangibles
The vibes don’t appear to be great in Winnipeg.
The Jets got off to a great start, sprinting to the Western Conference’s third-best record at the All-Star break. They went 14-14-2 afterward and almost missed the playoffs. Along the way, coach Rick Bowness questioned his players’ effort.
“If some of these guys think they’re giving us everything in their tank, they’re dreaming,” Bowness said after a 3-0 loss to San Jose on March 28.
The Knights have had no such issues. Their chemistry has been evident throughout the season, and they have played hard almost every night.
Advantage: Knights
Last word
The Knights have plenty of reason to be confident in this series, especially if Brossoit plays like he did in the regular season.
Their five-on-five game is better than the Jets’. Their poor power play might be canceled out by Winnipeg’s. The Jets will have to bring a level of determination that wasn’t evident down the stretch to pull off an upset.
