A possible playoff preview – Winnipeg Free Press

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VANCOUVER — You have to go all the way back to the spring of 1993 to find the last time the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks faced each other in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Might there be a rematch 32 years in the making starting next month? Absolutely, at least if the NHL’s regular season ended today. The Jets are sitting at 98 points to lead both the Central Division and Western Conference while the Canucks are at 73 points and clinging to the second and final wildcard spot.

All of which should add some extra intrigue as the Canadian clubs square off at Rogers Arena on Tuesday night.

LINDSEY WASSON) / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor (centre) is greeted by teammate Morgan Barron (right) after scoring against the Seattle Kraken Sunday night. Connor will be playing in his 600th career game Tuesday, and is on pace to set a new franchise record in points.

“They’re a hungry, desperate team,” Jets assistant coach Davis Payne said following his team’s 45-minute on-ice workout at the downtown rink.

“Like we’ve done all year, we’ve got to focus on that next game. You’re going to get different situations as this year starts to wind down, teams that are still fighting in it, teams that are fighting for it, which Vancouver is very much one of those teams. So there’s a hunger and an intensity that we’ve got to make sure we recognize and match.”

The St. Louis Blues are tied with Vancouver (but have played one extra game), while the Calgary Flames are just two points behind but also have two games in hand. Utah, which beat Vancouver 3-1 here on Sunday night, is also two points back with the same number of games played.

That’s a four-team race for one spot.

“I don’t really think you’re thinking about playoff matchups. It’s just sort of the next game on the schedule. It doesn’t matter who we play, we want to continue to bring our best and continue to build our own game,” said Jets defenceman Luke Schenn.

He’s expecting a battle from a team he was a member of in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

“Obviously they’ve had their fair share of adversity this year,” said Schenn.

He alluded to No. 1 goaltender Thatcher Demko’s ongoing injury issues, Quinn Hughes also spending time sidelined and the Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller drama which resulted in the latter being traded to the New York Rangers for Filip Chytil, who is now sidelined as well with an injury.

Winnipeg has won three straight games and now enjoys an 11-point cushion over the Dallas Stars in the race for the No. 1 seed. Vancouver could be extra ornery on Tuesday, given that they were thumped 6-1 by the Jets back on Jan. 14 at Canada Life Centre. The two teams will meet again one more time in Winnipeg on March 30.

Then, perhaps, a best-of-seven starting in mid-April? Stay tuned. By the way, Vancouver won that Smythe Division semi-final series 4-2, ending Winnipeg’s season for a second straight year (it was by a 4-3 series result in 1992, the only other time they’ve faced each other in the postseason).

No doubt Kyle Connor is looking forward to facing the Canucks. The last time he did, he had a natural hat trick before the contest was even 14 minutes old.

The 17th-overall pick from 2015 will play in his 600th career game on Tuesday.

Connor, 28, is once again heating up, with three goals in his last two games to jump ahead of linemate Mark Scheifele for the team lead at 36. Only Edmonton Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl (49) and Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander (37) have more this season heading into Monday night games around the league.

Connor is now up to 85 points, which trails only Nathan MacKinnon (103), Draisaitl (101), Nikita Kucherov (93) and Connor McDavid (86) in the overall scoring race. Connor’s career high is 93, set in the 2021-22 season, and with 14 games remaining is on pace to eclipse Marian Hossa’s 100 points in 2006-07 and set a new franchise record.

Connor’s latest goal, a breakaway beauty in Seattle on Sunday night, was helped by a rather unlikely source. Fourth-line centre Morgan Barron sprung him with a perfect backhanded bank pass off the boards in the middle of a Jets line change.

“I just knew from my previous look that he was somewhere out there. So I just fired it in his general vicinity. He was able to keep his speed and do the rest. Just get the puck in his hands,” is how Barron explained it on Monday.

What makes it even more impressive is that he’d just painfully blocked a shot in his own end a few seconds earlier, one that tore a fingernail off and left him bloodied.

“The adrenaline was going in the middle of the shift,” said Barron, who had the damaged digit taped up as he spoke with the Free Press.

All in a day’s work, right?

“We’ve got it from up and down the lineup, which has been good to see. There’s been some huge shot blocks lately. I think that’s just kind of been part of our identity.”– Winnipeg Jets centre Morgan Barron

“It’s kind of the time of the year where all those plays seem to be a little bit bigger and elevated,” said Barron.

“We’ve got it from up and down the lineup, which has been good to see. There’s been some huge shot blocks lately. I think that’s just kind of been part of our identity.”