ANALYSIS: Jets prepare for Saturday night heavyweight tilt in Washington

As the Jets were successful Boston dismantling the Bruins past night, the Washington Capitals were losing successful overtime successful Ottawa.

So now, without distraction, we tin speech astir the conflict betwixt the champion squad successful the eastbound against the champion squad successful the westbound connected Saturday nighttime successful the U.S. capital.

When the play started determination astir apt weren’t galore predicting that Winnipeg and Washington would beryllium the champion successful their respective conferences connected Feb. 1.  But that is, successful fact, the case.

There’s a bully accidental we volition spot the 2 champion goaltenders successful hockey to caput to head, successful Connor Hellebuyck against Logan Thompson.  We each cognize astir the Winnipeg goalie, but Thompson, who played inferior successful Brandon, has mislaid conscionable doubly successful regularisation this season. We marvel astatine the Jets’ extent scoring, and past admit that the Capitals person 9 players with astatine slightest 10 goals.

And marque nary mistake astir it, these 2 teams truly are the champion successful the league.  The No. 1 goal-scoring team?  Winnipeg.  No. 2? Washington.  The champion antiaircraft squad successful the league? The Capitals. No. 2? The Jets.

This is hockey’s mentation of a existent heavyweight fight.  Ali- Frazier…Rocky Balboa vs Apollo Creed…Roadrunner vs Coyote….well, you get the idea.

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And determination are truthful galore subplots to tomorrow’s game.

At season’s end, some Spencer Carbery and Scott Arniel volition beryllium finalists for the NHL’s Coach of the Year.

There’s the Great Chase for Alex Ovechkin, present conscionable 19 goals down Wayne Gretzky. Mark Schiefele present has 31 goals, much goals  than immoderate subordinate connected immoderate of the teams participating successful the Four Nations Face-off, and Pierre Luc Dubois, erstwhile scorned by Winnipeg and past by Los Angeles, is present a coagulated contributor for the Caps.

Winnipeg vs Washington.  The Best successful the West vs the Beasts of the East.

It surely could beryllium a Saturday to remember.