Jets suffer a double blow as rivals surge. A string of losses and victories for competitors put a damper in slim playoff hopes.
The Winnipeg Jets laid an egg in Dallas on Thursday evening, but that may have been the least of their concerns.
Also playing that evening were the Nashville Predators, Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken, Utah Mammoth and San Jose Sharks - all but one of which picked up points on the night. And of those earning points, all but one took home two.
Photo by Jerome Miron/USA Today The game that was most important, Nashville vs. Los Angeles, had the worst possible outcome for Winnipeg: a 5-4 shootout win for the Predators in extra time, meaning three points were handed out, worsening the Jets' postseason possibility rate.
Utah and Seattle also squared off, and this one was a decisive win for Utah, catapulting the Mammoth all the way up to 84 points, increasing the distance between the first wild card spot and the second to five full points.
The other game of importance was that of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Sharks, to which Macklin Celebrini and Co. took care of business against the worst Leafs team we have seen since Auston Matthews was selected first overall in 2016.
Oh, and then on Friday, the St. Louis Blues piled on another win against the Anaheim Ducks, pulling even with the Jets in the standings at 32-31-12 on the year.
As it stands, Winnipeg's 3-0 shutout loss to the Stars on Thursday dropped the Jets (76 points) to three points back of that final spot with seven games remaining on the season.
Winnipeg is one point ahead of Seattle, even with St. Louis and chasing Los Angeles, Nashville and San Jose (all at 79 points) for the final wild card spot.
Of the teams mentioned, all have played 75 games except for the Sharks, who have one game in hand on the competition. At this point, that playoff spot is San Jose's to lose.
While the Jets play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, Nashville will face San Jose, and Los Angeles will take on Toronto.