Winnipeg Jets enter playoffs with high hopes 

The Winnipeg Jets are heading into their first-round playoff series against the St. Louis Blues this weekend with high hopes—coming off a Presidents’ Trophy win and setting a franchise record in wins.

While expectations are high among Jets fans, the same can’t be said outside of Winnipeg.

Legal gambling sites, like Odds Shark, have the Jets outside of the top five teams with the best odds to win the Stanley Cup, despite their league-leading record.

“Winning the Presidents’ Trophy— a lot of Jets fans think that automatically makes them the Cup favourite, but the Jets are fighting ghosts of the past right now,” said Sean Reynolds, Sportsnet reporter. “We’ve seen this team have a lot of success in the regular season, and then they get to the playoffs and have a lot to figure out.”

Reynolds says that while the Western Conference is tough, he’s seen signs throughout the season that lead him to believe the Jets will perform much better this postseason than in previous years.

“Big games—like when they needed to play the Dallas Stars for first overall—there was concern Dallas might catch them. But the Jets came out with their best performance in that game. They’ve had a lot of those moments this season,” Reynolds said. “That’s a sign of a team learning how to be comfortable in big moments. So I expect them to be in the big moments in the playoffs this year.”

“Winnipeg doesn’t get any respect, and the only way we’re going to earn it is if we go deep in the playoffs. I really think this run is important,” said Greg Burnett, a longtime Jets superfan.

Burnett, a die-hard Jets supporter since 1976, has attended every home game this season. He says he’s expecting a big run.

“We just gotta get out of the first round, and then whatever happens, happens—because the first round is one of those dragons I think the Jets need to slay,” said Burnett.

He says within Jets fan circles, the belief that the Cup could finally come to Winnipeg is real—a moment he’s been waiting for his entire life.

“Well, I’ve got a shirt I’ve been wearing for about five years—a T-shirt—and it says, ‘Just one before I die.’ That’s pretty much it right there,” Burnett said.