And now, for the heavyweight championship of Canada …
In this corner, the Winnipeg Jets who knocked out the leading contender Edmonton Oilers, who boasted the best player in the world (Connor McDavid) 4-0.
In that corner, the unheralded Montreal Canadiens, who bounced off the ropes to deliver a TKO to the champion-wannabe Toronto Maple Leafs, who boasted the NHL’s top goal scorer (Austin Matthews) 4-3.
The first round of the best-of-seven seven game series will be played at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
The winner of the series will be known as the 2021 Canadian champion of pro hockey.
“Guys are going to be fighting for every inch to give and it should be a lot of fun, and we’re looking forward to it,” Jets centre Nate Thompson told reporters after Tuesday’s practice.
“I’m excited to still be playing and obviously, the first round was very exciting and we made some good memories in that first round,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. “But this is a whole new ball game, a whole new team, a whole different scenario and it’s gonna be a grind, and we’re looking forward to seven games of just grinding it out. If we do a good enough job, maybe we have an opportunity to move on, but we’re not looking past (Wednesday).”
The Canuck champ will advance to the Final Four versus an American team.
The Jets had a decided 6-3 edge over Montreal during the regular season, but won three of those games in overtime.
“Three overtime games obviously shows how close the matchup was between our two teams,” said Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey. “I think both teams have sort of found their games down the stretch and throughout the first round … I think, overall, both teams have kind of peaked at the right time and it’s gonna be a tough defensive series … Both teams have both found their stride, if you will, and both teams are different than they were in the regular season.”
The series is expected to come down to a battle of the backstops. Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck registered a 1.60 GAA and .950 save percentage in winning four straight games against the Oilers. Montreal’s Carey Price had a 2.24 GAA and 93.2 save percentage while recording a 4-3 won-loss record versus the Leafs.
“Two elite goalies, for sure. The lead story, understandable, because both teams kind of got here the same way,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice.
“They both have some Vezina hardware and it’s tough when both goalies are elite,” Thompson said. “With Price, the only difference is, he’s been doing it a little longer. A couple of the best goalies in the world, if you ask me.”
The biggest difference between the two teams is that the Jets boast such outstanding scorers as centre Mark Scheifele, who finished ninth in NHL scoring during the regular season with 21 goals and 63 points while forward Kyle Connor was 25th with 26 goals and 50 points. Nik Ehlers and Wheeler were also better than Montreal’s best, forward Tyler Toffoli at 48th with 28 goals and 44 points.
But Montreal also has a tough defensive scheme that stopped the likes of Matthews and Toronto’s other elite scorers.
“Both teams have the same mindset,” Maurice said. “They’ll give up nothing easily. Montreal controls the middle of the ice very well; they protected in front of their net very well; they were very smart in how they managed the puck; and they didn’t shoot themselves in the foot at any time.”
May the best team win.
