After sending the reigning President’s-trophy-winning Predators packing in Smashville, the Jets will welcome the Golden Knights to town with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final up for grabs. This will be each team’s first trip to the Western Conference Finals, where, inevitably, one team’s historic run will come to an end. In their inaugural season, the Golden Knights have proved the skeptics wrong and then some, smashing league records for expansion teams all season long. Only seven years removed from relocation, the Jets set franchise records of their own, finishing second in the league in the regular season and treating fans to the first two playoff series victories the city has seen in their recent history.

Aside from finding similar success, structurally these teams couldn’t be more different. The Jets have been advantageous in their years of futility, making a series of solid draft picks in Mark Scheifele, Jacob Trouba, and Patrik Laine. Winnipeg is built around a star-powered offense and heavy hitting defense, backed by Vezina trophy finalist goaltending in Connor Hellebuyck. While the Knights don’t have a designated star, acquiring most of their players from those left unprotected by other teams in the expansion draft, they have developed into one of the deepest rosters in the league. With the combination of breakout forwards like Jon Marchessault and William Karlsson and three-time Stanley Cup champion Marc Andre Fleury in goal, the Knight’s speed and team chemistry has proved too tough for many opponents to handle.

The Knights have been efficient thus far in the playoffs, sweeping the Los Angeles Kings in the first round and finishing off the San Jose Sharks in six games in the second. They have the benefit of rest against a Jets team that took five games to beat the Minnesota Wild in the first and seven to knock out Nashville. While both teams have dominated former opponents on both ends of the ice, perhaps the biggest piece to watch for in this series is the goaltending matchup of Hellebuyck and Fleury. Both had great regular seasons and have played tremendously through two rounds. The battle between these two could very well decide the series.

It has been a while since these teams have seen each other – their last meeting in early February ended in an overtime win for the Knights who also took the season series. It’s hard to set expectations based on the way these teams played each other four months ago, but it’s reasonable to expect that each team will pose a unique set of challenges to the other. These two teams should deliver a tight, hard-fought battle fitting for the Western Conference title.

Keys to Victory

Jets

1. More from Laine. The Jets have seen several players elevate their games this playoffs, and it’s worked tremendously for them, but at some point Laine has got to start scoring like the guy who almost caught Alex Ovechkin for the Rocket Richard. He has 10 points, only three goals, through two rounds. He’s due to go on a tear that could be instrumental in chasing Fleury and getting his team past the Knights.

2. Hit, hit, hit. The Knights have already made elite defenseman Drew Doughty and Brent Burns look foolish with their speed this postseason. If Big Buff and Co. can keep the Knights attack at bay, they’re going to have to play the body and make Vegas weary of having to go through them.

Golden Knights

1. Fleury outdueling Hellebuyck. Pekka Rinne couldn’t do it last series, and it cost the Predators their season. As the early Conn Smythe favorite, Fleury has set the standard for goaltending this postseason, outlasting the likes of Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones. To make it by one of the most potent offenses in the league, however, Fleury will have to continue standing on his head and hope Hellebuyck falters.

2. Holding it down at home. Home ice has been good to the Knights thus far in the playoffs, who have lost only once – in double overtime – in T-Mobile arena. Winnipeg was able to take three out of four on the road in Round 2, effectively stifling one of the loudest fan bases in the league in Smashville. The Knights will have to take care of business at home if the series is to go their way.

Prediction – Jets in 7

Sources: https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/VEG/2018.html , https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/WPG/2018.html (Hockey Reference)