The Winnipeg Jets clinched third place in the North Division with a 5-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night and as a result, are now set to do battle with the Edmonton Oilers when the first round of the NHL playoffs gets underway.
While the Oilers have faced off against Winnipeg’s previous incarnation of the Jets in the post-season before that team was moved to Arizona, the 2021 NHL playoffs will mark the first time Edmonton faces the new iteration of the Jets in a seven-game series.
READ MORE: Winnipeg Jets blank Canucks 5-0, will play Oilers in first round of playoffs
The NHL tweeted Tuesday night that in the Oilers’ previous playoff matchups against the old Jets, the team won all six series the two clubs played against one another.
The Jets’ win Tuesday night also solidifies the other all-Canadian playoff matchup this year: the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs will compete against the fourth-place Montreal Canadiens.
During the condensed 2020-21 season, the Oilers won seven of nine games against the Jets, outscoring Winnipeg 34-22 in the process.
READ MORE: Connor McDavid gives Edmonton Oilers OT win in Montreal
Edmonton captain Connor McDavid dominated the season series against the Jets, scoring seven goals and adding 15 assists.
The NHL’s regular season was extended after a number of teams saw games postponed over the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: Canadian teams ‘jealous’ of clubs that can take advantage of NHL’s relaxed COVID-19 rules
As of Tuesday night, the last regular season game on the NHL calendar was a matinee matchup between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames.
Because of the unique circumstances, the NHL playoffs will actually begin before the regular season is officially complete. A post on the league’s website on Tuesday said the Boston Bruins will play the Washington Capitals in Game 1 of their East Division playoff series on May 15.
The official playoff schedule for the all-Canadian North Division has not yet been released.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has said the league is not ruling out scheduling the first North Division playoff game on the same day the Canucks and Flames finish their regular season.
Watch below: (From April 14, 2021) The Oilers added just one player following the 2020-21 trade deadline: Dmitri Kulikov. 630 CHED Inside Sports’ Reid Wilkins breaks it down.
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