Why Jets will win 2025 Stanley Cup

Connor Hellebuyck was the most disappointing piece of last year’s postseason. He entered the first-round matchup with the Avalanche with the clear upper hand over Alexandar Georgiev. The Jets believed they’d win the series solely because of the goaltending advantage. Hellebuyck allowed six goals on 46 shots in Game 1 last season, but the Jets persevered for the 7-6 victory. Many thought the Avalanche were in serious trouble if they put six goals past Hellebuyck and still found a way to lose that game.

No one believed much in the Avalanche heading into Game 2, but Georgiev allowed just two goals in a 5-2 victory. Georgiev showed up for Colorado for the next three games, while Hellebuyck allowed four or more goals in each game in a 4-1 series loss. It left the Jets with plenty of questions, as they had a Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender who couldn’t finish the job in the playoffs.

Hellebuyck’s save percentage was below .872 in the five playoff games last season. However, his all-time stats might not be as much of an issue as people want to believe. Hellebuyck has a .910 save percentage and 2.85 goals-against average in 45 career NHL playoff games. The recent history isn’t pretty, but it isn’t like Hellebuyck hasn’t performed well in previous playoffs.

There were many years where Hellebuyck was the only star of the show in Jets playoff runs. Look at his first postseason run in 2017-18 when he owned a .922 save percentage and 2.36 goals-against average but had a 9-8 record. It was also the 2020-21 run where Hellebuyck was 4-4 but had a 2.23 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.

Now, Hellebuyck has the best Jets team in front of him in his NHL career and is at the peak of his powers. If he can get anywhere close to his regular season success, he will be a factor for Winnipeg. In a high-pressure situation at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Hellebuyck owned a 1.59 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.

Central Division battle in first-round

It’s looking increasingly likely that the Dallas Stars and Avalanche will meet in the first round. The Jets must start winning more games, as the Stars and Avalanche are red-hot. However, they are running out of time to catch them in the standings. The best-case scenario for the Jets is an Avalanche-Stars first-round series, which leads them to a favorable second-round matchup.

The second wild card race is exciting, but whoever gets through will struggle against the Jets. Winnipeg could easily win that series in four or five games, giving them an extended break before the second round. They’ll sit and watch as the Stars and Avalanche go to war in a likely six or seven-game series.

A Colorado and Dallas series will be highly emotional. Mikko Rantanen will return to play against his old team after they surprisingly traded him. If that matchup happens, it’ll be a media circus, which leaves teams without much left in the tank.

We saw it last season when the Stars and Avalanche played in the Western Conference semi-finals. That series didn’t feature the Rantanen factor, and it was still a tiring six-game series. The Stars had nothing left for the next series, and the Edmonton Oilers walked over them.

The Jets’ priority is grabbing the first seed. If they do, we could see a long playoff run in the “white-out” at the Canada Life Centre. The Jets offer an excellent chance for a Canadian team to win their first Stanley Cup since 1993.