WINNIPEG — In a game where numbers mean so much, the Winnipeg Jets are letting several slip by.
“I don’t look at (stats) at all,” said defenceman Tyler Myers.
Few are counting on Winnipeg to go far in the playoffs. Oddsmakers have placed the Jets as the least likely among all sixteen teams to land the Stanley Cup at 25/1.
“We felt like we’ve been the underdog all year,” said forward Blake Wheeler. “We felt like it’s been our rallying cry.”
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One they’ll have to continue into the first round against Anaheim. The Ducks swept the season series against the Jets winning all three games.
“They finished first in our conference for a reason,” said rookie Adam Lowry. “We know they present us a pretty tough challenge but we’re looking forward to it.”
But not everybody is writing off Winnipeg. The LA Kings, in their playoff bracket, chose the Jets to eliminate the Ducks in six games. Players though aren’t putting much stock into it.
“I think the Kings would have picked whatever Anaheim’s opponent was to beat them,” said Myers. “I don’t think they like each other very much.”
The Jets plan to rely heavily on the team’s three Stanley Cup champions, Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien and Michael Frolík, during the post-season. Especially so with 11 players making their playoff debuts.
“I pick (Ladd’s) mind on the daily,” said forward Mark Scheifele. “He’s such an amazing leader, such a great guy. I look to him for advice all the time.”
“You learn how to handle those emotions whether it’s throughout a game or throughout a series,” said Ladd. “A lot of time you have to have a short memory.”
While staying focused on the biggest number – sixteen. The number of wins needed to claim the cup.
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