Will subpar special forces sink Winnipeg planes?

The Jets special teams have been thorny all year. That could be what ruins their playoff chances. The Winnipeg Jets are set to go head-to-head with the Central Division's best. Much has been made of how the Jets would fare against the speed of the Colorado Avalanche or the depth of the Dallas Stars. However, special teams will ultimately decide the Jets' long run to the playoffs. Most of the Stanley Cup playoffs are played 5-on-5, where the Winnipeg Jets thrive. But the glaring differences between the three Central Division teams lie on special teams. According to ESPN.com, the Stars and Avalanche both have the top 10 in scoring power (sixth and fifth) and penalty kill (eighth and ninth). The Jets are 22nd on the power play and 21st on the penalty kill.

Discuss Power Play

The Stars and Avalanche move the puck and get into the zone well on the power play. The Avalanche have speed demons Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar who make getting into the zone an absolute breeze. The key to a successful power play is maintaining possession. It is very difficult to get the puck back to the penalty killers after setting up the machine. The Stars aren't shining with speed in the first half, but there are a few big players trying to regain possession. Jets, on the other hand, have speed and size, but lack development in either. Kyle Connor has speed but can't get into the zone consistently.

The Jets have two exceptional power players. Sean Monahan thrives in the bumper position and can create chances out of thin air. Gabriel Vilardi is a master at bringing down defenders and still playing in inches of space. These two players will give the Winnipeg Jets some life. Unfortunately, like the Jets' special teams, the rest of the unit is lacking.

The Jets don't have the weapons to compete with high-powered playmaking units. Josh Morrissey is a puck specialist. But he wasn't successful as a Power Play Quarterback. Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele are more one-trick ponies than anything else. Connor only takes one-timers from long range, where only a sniper like Alex Ovechkin can score. This leads to many low-quality features. Scheifele is not a threat to shoot at the other end and only has one move; Transfer to Monaghan. This makes Scheifel easier to predict. The power play needs to make more use of Villardi and Monaghan to finish with the Central Division's best.

A brief discussion of culpable homicide

The Winnipeg Jets penalty kill was shy and the blue line turnover. The exact opposite of how a team plays 5-on-5. Jets allowed opponents to fly into the attack zone. Also, when a team has possession, they completely back off. The Jets' patient philosophy has been picked apart all season and won't change against two top-tier power plays.

As briefly mentioned above, Colorado runs their offense with speed, which can be deadly with Winnipeg's lack of aggression. Dallas' possession of the puck doesn't do well with Winnipeg's passive play. The best penalty killer on the team should always be the goalkeeper. The Winnipeg Jets have the added advantage of arguably the best goaltender in all of hockey in Connor Hellebuyck. If Hellebuyck is on his A-game, he will make up for a lot of special teams deficiencies. But it's a big ask for a goalkeeper all over the world.

Jets special teams will be the difference between victory and defeat

The Winnipeg Jets special teams have struggled all season, while Dallas and Colorado have flourished. That's a recipe for disaster for the Jets. Fortunately for the Winnipeg Jets, most playoff games are evenly matched. That should ease some of the anxiety. However, in very close games, a timely power play or penalty kick can turn the tide of a playoff game.

Main photo: James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports

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