The Winnipeg Jets<\/a>, who finished as the second-best team in the NHL regular season, came off a Game 7 victory over the reigning Western Conference champion Nashville Predators<\/a>. The win earned them a spot in their first ever Western Conference Final. They faced the Vegas Golden Knights<\/a>, who have defied all the odds by making it into the Conference Final and did it with only two losses in the first two rounds combined.<\/p>\n The Jets wasted absolutely no time in getting on the board as defenseman Dustin Byfuglien<\/a><\/strong> put a slapshot past veteran netminder Marc-Andre Fleury<\/a><\/strong> just over a minute into regulation. The woes didn’t end there as the Jets got two more passed Fleury, one off a shot from Patrick Liane on a power play and the other on a greasy goal from Joel Armia<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Golden Knights did show signs of life. They scored a goal on a delayed penalty off a wrister from defenseman Brayden McNabb<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Jets picked up right where they left off, scoring a power-play goal from Mark Scheifele<\/a><\/strong>. This was his league-leading post-season goal number 12 and gave the Jets a 4-1 lead.<\/p>\n The Golden Knights weren’t out just yet, as William Karlsson<\/a><\/strong> put one behind Winnipeg netminder Connor Hellebuyck<\/a><\/strong> on a beautiful redirect. Although the rest of the period finished with no goals, both teams pushed the pace and physicality. Vegas sustained pressure in the Winnipeg zone to no avail.<\/p>\n The final period was scoreless, even after pulling Fleury for the sixth attacker. The final score was 4-2 in favor of the Jets. This marks the first time that Vegas has ever trailed in a playoff series. This is also the furthest that the Jets have made it into the post-season since moving from Atlanta.<\/p>\n Game 2 of the Western Conference Final is on Monday night in Winnipeg at 8 p.m. EST. Vegas will attempt to close the gap and even out the series and Winnipeg will try to extend it.<\/p>\n Main Image Credit:<\/p>\nFirst Period<\/h2>\n
Second Period<\/h2>\n
Third Period<\/h2>\n