The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are here! We’ve been previewing each series by looking at each team’s path to victory, picks, predictions, and best bets. So let’s keep it going with the Jets vs. Golden Knights series preview!
Winnipeg Jets vs. Vegas Golden Knights: Series Schedule
Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs. Winnipeg Jets (WC2)
Tue., April 18: Jets at Golden Knights, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2, SNW, TVAS2
Thu., April 20 Jets at Golden Knights, 10 p.m. ET, TBS, SN, CBC, TVAS
Sat., April 22: Golden Knights at Jets, 4 p.m. ET, SN, CBC, TVAS, TBS
Mon., April 24: Golden Knights at Jets, 9:30 p.m. ET, SNW, TVAS, ESPN
Thu., April 27: Jets at Golden Knights, TBA
Sat., April 29: Golden Knights at Jets, TBA
Mon., May 1: Jets at Golden Knights, TBA
Winnipeg Jets vs. Vegas Golden Knights: Path to Victory
Winnipeg Jets
After a 29-14-1 start through their first 44 games, the Jets then went 10-14-2 from January 17th to March 19th to put their playoff spot in jeopardy before a 7-4-0 finish.
The Jets have a good veteran group at forward, with Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor leading an underrated offense. Josh Morrissey has also put himself on the map this year on the blue line.
Goaltending is the name of the game in the playoffs, and the Jets have a great one in Connor Hellebuyck.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Knights missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last year and are back as the top seed in the West this year. However, they’ve gone all season without a steady starting goalie in net, and that may be no different, with former Jet Laurent Brossoit and former Knights rival Jonathan Quick both potentially getting playing time in this series.
Still, Vegas is a force to be reckoned with. Jack Eichel is in his first playoffs, and Mark Stone should be returning from injury alongside Shea Theodore.
Jets vs. Golden Knights: Picks, Predictions, & Best Bets
Jets to advance (+145 via BetMGM)
The Knights got a tough draw here, and I like the Jets to upset them at +145. The Jets have a heavy goaltending advantage and aren’t too far behind in terms of the rest of the roster. In fact, I think I like the Jets’ depth as opposed to Vegas’.
This is basically a bet on Hellebuyck vs. Brossoit (his former backup) and Quick (who the Kings traded to upgrade at the deadline). I’ll take the better goaltending, given the relatively even rosters at +145.
Jets -1.5 games (+290 via Unibet)
Hell, why not? There’s some value here.
Over 5.5 games (-148 via Unibet)
If you’ve read some of the other series previews, you know that this is a common bet of mine. I think both teams can definitely win at least one game, with a second one not too far behind. That takes it to at least a Game 6.
Follow Ryan Gilbert on Twitter (@RGilbertSOP)
