Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

All Eyes On Winnipeg/Vegas Tonight

05/12/2018 at 4:36pm EDT

from Chris Johnston of Sportsnet,

It’s amazing to think that one of these organizations is going to play for a championship this spring after never previously having won a playoff game. So much for having to “learn” how to get there.

They established themselves among the NHL’s best in the regular season by embracing an aggressive game built on speed. Winnipeg and Vegas each enter this series having generated more than 60 even-strength shot attempts for per 60 minutes played in the playoffs, which suggests we could be in for some high-event hockey.

“Well, the 109 points tells you how good they were. Specifically, outstanding at transition and speed,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said of the Golden Knights. “How they move the puck from their end in straight lines and make plays off that rush. It’s going to be a very fast, speed-based series....

It’s going to be either the “Golden Misfits” – as they’ve lovingly dubbed themselves – a team of castoffs that have virtually all played deeper into these playoffs than the organizations that just let them go. (The lone exception is defenceman Nate Schmidt, formerly of the Washington Capitals).

Or it’s going to be the carefully-assembled Jets, who have made eight first-round draft picks since moving north from Atlanta in 2011 and are already using six of those players on a nightly basis.

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About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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