Cole Perfetti is eager for another chance in the NHL playoffs.
The young Winnipeg Jets forward only participated in one of the team`s five playoff games in the first round last year. Now, Perfetti, after his best professional season, is excited to face the St. Louis Blues in the first round of this year`s NHL playoffs.
The best-of-seven series is set to begin on Saturday.
`I`m really looking forward to the first game,` Perfetti said after Winnipeg`s 2-1 overtime victory against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night. This game marked the team`s 16th sellout of the season at Canada Life Centre. `There`s a lot of anticipation.`
`In the second half of the season, it felt more and more likely that we`d be in the playoffs, and as a top seed. We`ve been improving throughout the year. I only experienced a little bit of it last year, so I`m excited for this year.`
The Jets aimed to use Wednesday`s game as preparation for the playoffs.
`We created a lot offensively, I believe,` Perfetti stated. `We wanted to use this game as a good warm-up for Game 1, and I think we played quite well.`
`Their goalie, Ville Husso, played exceptionally well. We generated numerous excellent chances and didn`t concede much, which I consider a strong performance for us.`
Perfetti contributed an assist on Neal Pionk`s second-period goal, reaching 50 points for the season for the first time in his career.
Winnipeg recently defeated the Blues 3-1, ending their 12-game winning streak.
`Obviously, they`ve been playing great hockey lately, especially since the break,` Perfetti mentioned. `They are a good team.`
`We played them four or five games ago, so we know we can beat them. We are familiar with them and their style of play. They are performing well, and it`s going to be an exciting series.`
Pionk echoed this sentiment.
`Yes, I can`t wait. This is the best time of the year,` he said. `Tonight was about maintaining good habits and ensuring we are doing things correctly.`
`Now we are playing for real. It will be a fast and physical series. They have been on a great run after the break, one of the hottest teams in the league. We need to be ready to go.`
Husso made 42 saves, many of them impressive, and was impressed by the Jets as they head into the playoffs.
`They play a solid game for almost the entire 60 minutes,` he remarked. `Their talent, skill, and defense are very strong.`
`It was also fun to watch Connor Hellebuyck. He makes the game seem so effortless. They definitely have a good chance.`
Hellebuyck won the William M. Jennings Trophy for the second consecutive year. This trophy is awarded annually to the goaltender(s) who play at least 25 games for the team that allows the fewest goals during the regular season.
Winnipeg only allowed 191 goals this season.
`Winning it two years in a row is very impressive, I think,` Perfetti commented. `Some nights, it was excellent team defense, and other nights it was Hellebuyck or Eric Comrie standing on their heads.`
`And that’s what you need if you want to be successful in this league and win that trophy.`
Jets coach Scott Arniel expressed his satisfaction with both the Jennings Trophy win and the team achieving a club-record 116 points this season.
`Again, it`s an amazing accomplishment for these guys to have such a season,` he said. `I can`t praise the players enough for what they have achieved.`
`They remained focused throughout all 82 games. Achieving this at the end, in front of our fans, was special.`
The players had discussed the Jennings Trophy from the beginning of the season, Arniel noted.
`We did a lot of team-building activities at the start of the year,` he said. `It was remarkable that every group came back saying that part of our identity, first and foremost, would be how we defend, just like last year.`
`To be competitive in games, we knew we had enough skill to score, but everyone knows that when you get to the playoffs, the teams that defend the best are usually the ones that end up holding the trophy.`
`It’s about everyone believing in a certain way of playing, and that gives you a chance to win games. And you back it up with outstanding goaltending. That makes it much harder to play against us.`
Mark Scheifele scored the winning goal in overtime.
Tristan Blackwood