If Tuesday night’s game in Vancouver was a glimpse into what a first-round playoff matchup might look like for the Winnipeg Jets, it could be more interesting than the records would suggest.
Of course, the Canucks‘ 6-2 victory was crucially more important for Vancouver in their pursuit of a wild card spot in the Western Conference than the two points to the Jets at this point.
And while Vancouver’s season hasn’t gone according to plan or expectation, they undoubtedly got Winnipeg’s attention with one of their finest performances since coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
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Now, there are still plenty of miles to travel down the National Hockey League highway before playoff seeding is determined. And Winnipeg, for its part, is still trying to lock up the top spot in its own division and conference in order to host the second wild card holder.
But if Tuesday was a peek into the future of a one-versus-eight encounter — in other words, Winnipeg vs. Vancouver — it could be great theatre, as the two teams are fast, physical and well-coached.
Plus, the Canadiana around the series would only add to the attraction – especially given today’s geopolitical climate and nationalism at an all-time high in the country.
Sure, there are plenty of other scenarios – likely more than the Canucks have Petterssons on their roster — that could still unfold with four-plus weeks remaining on the regular-season schedule.
And that includes the final game of the season series between the Jets and Canucks in Winnipeg on March 30, which could offer an even further glimpse into what a first-round playoff meeting between the two teams might look like.
And given the fact it will also be the rubber match of the set, it just might look pretty good to hockey fans in both cities — and even more interesting than the records would suggest.
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