The Winnipeg Jets entered the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the eighth seed. On Tuesday, they became the only Canadian team to take a 1-0 lead in their best out of seven series. At the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, the Jets trounced the Vegas Golden Knights 5-1.
Blake Wheeler led the Jets in scoring with three points, as he had one goal and two assists. Other Jets with a multi-point game were Adam Lowry (two goals), Pierre-Luc Dubois of Saint-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec (one goal and one assist), and Nino Niederreiter (two assists). The other Jets goal scorer was Kyle Connor.
It was quite simply a dominant win for the Jets, who outshot the Golden Knights 30-17. One massive advantage the Jets had going into the series was goaltending. Connor Hellebuyck is significantly more consistent than anything the Golden Knights had to offer.
Winnipeg was one of six lower ranked seeds to win their opening game of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They were joined by the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning, Seattle Kraken and New York Rangers.
In the regular season, the Golden Knights beat the Jets three times head-to-head. However, they did not play Winnipeg at any point after Christmas, as their three meetings were earlier in the season.
