Eighty-two games is a very long time. For teams on the playoff bubble in the final few games of an NHL campaign, it’s extremely easy to go back and spot any number of occasions where if things had gone just a little differently, they would be in a much more favourable position.
That’s all hindsight, however. For the teams on the bubble, the most important thing is finding some way to eke out as many points as possible in the few games remaining. The Winnipeg Jets had a brutal schedule to start this week and made the most of it. The Los Angeles Kings had a difficult schedule and cratered.
What makes the contrast between Winnipeg and Los Angeles more interesting is that they are in competition for the same playoff spot in the West.
Both the Kings and the Jets were looking at fighting through fatigue. Starting on Saturday, each team began a set of three games in four nights, a set that ended in back-to-back contests on Monday and Tuesday.
In each case, the latter two games were on the road. L.A. at least had a reasonable slate of opponents, taking on Colorado, Vancouver and then Edmonton. Winnipeg&rsqu ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Jonathan Willis
A Tale of 2 NHL Playoff Hopefuls: Kings and Jets Trending in Opposite Directions
April 8th, 2015 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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