CorgisPer60
Barking at the net
JETS (34-39-8) at KINGS (48-28-5)
TV: 10 p.m. ET; SN, PRIME, NHL.TV
Season series: The Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets have split two games. Kings forward Milan Lucic scored with 4:41 left in a 4-1 win at Winnipeg on Oct. 27. Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec made 33 saves in a 4-1 win on March 24.
Jets team scope: Winnipeg has a season-high three-game winning streak entering its season finale. Blake Wheeler has an NHL career-high 10-game point streak (seven goals, seven assists), the longest active streak in the NHL and one game from tying the franchise record set by Marian Hossa with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2006-07. Mark Scheifele has an NHL career-high nine-game point streak (six goals, eight assists); he needs one goal to become the first Winnipeg player to reach 30 since Evander Kane in 2011-12. Coach Paul Maurice has not confirmed a starting goaltender; Pavelec and Michael Hutchinson have alternated the past three starts. Pavelec is 4-0-2 in his past six.
Kings team scope: First in the Pacific Division, Los Angeles can clinch its second division title with a win. If the Kings lose in regulation, Los Angeles would need the second-place Anaheim Ducks to lose to the Colorado Avalanche in regulation Saturday; an overtime or shootout loss by the Kings would require a loss of any kind by the Ducks. A win would give Los Angeles 103 points, second-most in its history. With 26 home wins, Los Angeles is one shy of setting a Kings record. Lucic has three goals in his past two games, and Anze Kopitar has three assists in his past two games.
At last - game 82. The final step in this 6-month circling of the drain. It's been a trying season for the team and the fanbase, but there've been a few light glimmers to take from the season: Scheifele's emergence as a bonafide top line center (even if shooting 22.5% or so over the last 15 games), Ehlers' top 6 winger potential and natural swagger with the puck, Dano being a bigger Petan, Hellebuyck still owning the best NHL record amongst the 3 goalies, Kyle Connor's absolute tear through the B1G conference, amongst others.
All panic and consternation aside, mine included, the Jets can do no worse than finish 6th overall in the pre-lottery draft, and have almost as equal a chance of winning a top 3 pick as they do of picking 7th. In light of this, I might try cheering for them tonight, if I remember how to. Man, I don't know how Oilers fans have done it in the past decade.
At any rate, win or lose, let it burn, Jets.
