The Winnipeg Jets and visiting San Jose Sharks will look to end their seasons on a high note when the two face off on Thursday night.
It’ll be the conclusion of a disappointing campaign for the Jets (35-34-12, 82 points), who enter the finale with 34 fewer points than their Presidents’ Trophy-winning season of one year ago.
Winnipeg dropped three straight games and was eliminated from postseason contention following a 6-2 road loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday.
The most recent defeat came on Tuesday, with a 5-3 setback at the Utah Mammoth.
“We went from 11 points down to one at one time,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. “It’s a tough feeling. I know the guys are hurting. We all want to be in the playoffs. That’s what our job is and our role is. When you get the reality of it, it (stinks).”
While it’s been a season to forget for the Jets as a whole, the loss to the Golden Knights came with some positive history. Center Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist in the contest to reach the 100-point plateau for the first time in his 15-year NHL career. His previous career high was 87 points, set last season.
He added another goal and an assist against Utah, giving him 103 points (36 goals, 67 assists) on the season.
“I’m very blessed. I’ve played with some amazing players,” Scheifele said.
The Sharks (38-35-8, 84 points) will be looking to bounce back after a 5-2 road loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. San Jose held a 2-0 lead early in the second before the Blackhawks scored with 30 seconds left in the period. Chicago added four more goals in the third period.
The rebuilding Sharks had been a surprise in the thick of the race for a playoff spot in the Western Conference but were eliminated from contention on Monday.
“We’ve learned a lot of lessons along the way,” San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “This one was a kick in the gut because we should know by now, to be honest with you. We’ve talked enough about momentum shifts in games and when to simplify, and when to be a mature team and understand that we’ve controlled the game the first two periods, let’s go put zeroes in the third and we win a hockey game. Until we do that, we won’t make another step.”
Rookie Michael Misa scored in the loss, giving the Sharks 53 goals by teenagers this season — fourth most by a team over the past 40 years.
The 19-year-old Misa, the second overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, has eight goals and 20 points in 44 games.
“With the group we had, I thought we could definitely make it (into the playoffs),” he said. “Now that we didn’t, we can try to focus on these last two games. We’ve got one more left, so try to win it.”
–Field Level Media
