Picture Looks Bleak for the Winnipeg Jets going into Game 6

Vegas Golden Knights celebrate after winning game 5 and taking 3-1 lead in series against Winnipeg Jets

Game 4 was an important game for the Winnipeg Jets, and one they could not afford to lose, however, it was the game that the Vegas Golden Knights were waiting for.

The Golden Knights were hot off the trail after beating Winnipeg on the road in Game 3, a feat not many accomplished in the regular season, and heading home with a 2-1 lead in the series, the Winnipeg Jets wanted revenge. Yet, it was revenge not had as the Golden Knights pulled off the first back-to-back losses for the Jets in the playoffs winning 3-2.

Vegas is now in a commanding position going into Game 5 and have the opportunity to wrap up the series well in advance of the Stanley Cup Finals getting underway while Tampa Bay and the Washington Capitals continue to duke it out in the Eastern Conference Finals. While the Jets feel the series is far from over, the odds are stacked against them.

The series has seen the Golden Knights come back and responded each time the Jets have scored a goal, and each time, it seems to take a little wind out of Winnipeg as the battle back and forth.

Commenting on the Knights ability to come back with one of their own, James Neal of the Vegas Golden Knights said,

“It sucks the wind out, and then boom, it’s a huge goal and we’re back. It’s always hard when you get one and the other team comes back and scores.”

Sportsnet

The Golden Knights once again, in what was almost a repeat of Game 3, came out and got the scoring underway in the first period at 2:25. In a play that saw the Knights go three on two, Jonathan Marchessault sent a pass across the net to William Karlsson who fired off a wrist shot past Hellebuyk to make it 1-0 for the Golden Knights.

The remainder of the first period went scoreless with both teams failing to capitalise on scoring opportunities and the second period seemed like it too might go scoreless as well. That is until the Winnipeg Jets went into the Knights zone as Blake Wheeler sent the puck to Byfuglien who passed to Laine who then sent a wicked slap shot into the net past a helpless Fleury to tie the game 1-1 at 9:29.

True to form, The Golden Knights responded and less than a minute later at 10:12, the Knights scored after Tomas Nosek found himself in front of the net and making it 2-1 after a wraparound attempt by Pierre-Édouard Bellemare missed the mark going in front of the crease.

With the Golden Knights leading, the remainder of the second period was a battle that saw no victories. However, the third period did, and it was one the Jets wish played out differently as it started out in what seems to be a pattern in this series, the Knights scoring early.

After a face off in the Knights zone, the Jets were heavily stacked in front of the net when a slap shot by Tyler Myers went through the pads of Fleury in what had many confused as the puck trickled in to tie the game 2-2. For Winnipeg, it gave them hope; unfortunately, that hope was short lived.

After a missed shot by Dustin Byfuglien at the 13-minute mark of the third period, it was incepted by Reilly Smith of the Knights who went a breakaway and fired off a shot that Fleury should have blocked to make it 3-2 for Vegas. For the Jets, it was the end of the game after being unable to come back and tie the game, even with a one-man advantage after Hellebuyk left the ice.

In post-game interviews, Winnipeg’s Tyler Myers said,

“I thought for the last five periods, we were the much better team. In our minds, this series is far from over.”

Many have felt that the Golden Knights would not have the ability to go the distance in the post-season, but as we all know, never count them out until the end, as proof is in the pudding as they say, and for Jonathon Marchessault, he feels,

“We earned the right to be here, to be in this situation up 3-1, it’s fun, but nothing that we have to get crazy about here. A lot of the job has to be done. You can’t lay off that team.”

The series remains in Las Vegas for Game 6, and with it do or die time for the Winnipeg Jets, they will need to come out and play hard, aggressive and more importantly, win. If they do, Game 7 will head back to Winnipeg for a showdown to see who advances to the Stanley Cup finals.

Author Noah is our American writer who likes to give his own spin on everything Golf & the NHL he covers mainly the US side of the game as Doug covers the Canada. In his time off he can usually be taking to the greens or on the ice playing some hockey