ANALYSIS: The cost of the Winnipeg Jets not making the Stanley Cup playoffs - BERITAJA

It feels for illustration the Winnipeg Jets’ play ended a period ago. And now, present we are, 7 days into the Stanley Cup playoffs, wondering “what if” the squad had qualified for the post-season and faced the Colorado Avalanche.

The Kings-Avs bid is now 3-0 successful favour of Colorado. But the three-game lead does not bespeak really adjacent each 3 games person been. In fact, aft Game 2 of the series, galore felt Los Angeles could person won some games successful Denver. To person the Kings down 3 while the Jets are astatine location mightiness springiness immoderate fans solace. But moreover if location are only 4 aliases 5 games successful a series, location is simply a valid logic to beryllium progressive successful the playoffs.

Let’s look it, the Kings aren’t expected to triumph the series, conscionable arsenic the Jets would person been immense underdogs. But location are players — the young ones — who will person learned valuable lessons about the crippled of hockey, and what it really takes for a squad to triumph the Stanley Cup. That is really what is about difficult for this franchise (or immoderate franchise, for that matter) to accept.

It is truthful important to put your squad successful a position to play for successful the post-season successful bid to springiness players for illustration Dylan Samberg, Cole Perfetti, Morgan Barron and Brad Lambert a consciousness for the strength of the playoffs; to study what value you person to salary to triumph a championship. Even if you suffer a first-round series, the learning curve is steep and worthwhile.

So while galore would opportunity that missing the playoffs is amended than being steamrolled successful the first round, location is simply a definite worth successful conscionable getting to the dance. Beyond the location dates, beyond a triumph aliases two, it’s the acquisition of the higher strength the players consciousness that is about important. Every squad successful the Western Conference that made the playoffs will reap the benefits of playoff acquisition for its young players.

And successful galore ways, that is the biggest disappointment of this Jets’ season.