TASK ONE:

The Winnipeg Jets have had an interesting run on their way to the Challenge Cup Final. In the first round they had to face the defending Champions, the Texas Renegades. Luckily for the Jets, it seemed like the long playoff run last season caught up the Renegades, as they swept Texas in 4 games. In the second round, they were matched up against the Seattle Riot and this round did not go as smoothly as the first round. It was in this series, that Winnipeg played their most important game of the season, so far.

Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals was the marquee game for the Winnipeg Jets. Having blown a 2-0 series lead and a 3-2 series lead, the Jets had to go back to Seattle and regroup in a win or go home game. Losing game 7 after holding those leads in the series could be soul crushing for a team looking to finally break free in the West. The doubt had to be creeping into the minds of the Jets. In the regular season, they were a dismal 1-5 against the Riot and now having been unable to finish them off, they must be thinking that the Riot just have their number.

This is where the narrative changed for this Jets team. They came out firing and were determined to finally close out the Riot in Season 37. Their offense broke out in this game, scoring 5 goals. In the regular season, they only scored 15 goals in the 6 games. Corey Bearss showed up in the biggest game of his career, scoring a hat-trick, including the game winner.

Having beaten their thorn in their sides, the Winnipeg Jets finally broke through in the Western Conference and are representing the Conference in the Challenge Cup Final.

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TASK TWO:

The unsung playoff hero of this season's playoffs, in my opinion, is Jason Visser of the Winnipeg Jets. On a team with some big names like Luke Fleming, Zach Evans, Big Manious, and VLAD McZehrl, Jason Visser flies under the radar. He's been an absolute workhorse for the Jets, averaging over 29 minutes per game. He's helping pace the Jets offense with 14 points in 11 games, while also showing off the physical side of his game with 34 hits.

Where the workhorse part comes into play is his minutes on special teams. He plays on both the power play and penalty kill, giving his coach a reliable presence in every facet of the game. Visser isn't the biggest scorer on his team, but does a great job keeping up, while also opening up the ice for his teammates. The rest of the league may not key in on Visser for their game plans against the Jets, but believe me when I say that the Jets know exactly how important Jason Visser has been to their Challenge Cup run.

(179 words)

TASK FOUR:

This season's Challenge Cup Final is the Toronto North Stars versus the Winnipeg Jets. Right now, we're going to look at the tale of the tape to see who has the edge going into the series.

In the regular season, there was very little separating each team in the two games they played against each other. Both teams won one game a piece, with the Jets scoring 8 goals and the North Stars scoring 9 goals. In the final standings, the Jets finished with four more points than Toronto, 65 points to 61 points. The Jets 65 points was good enough to get them the West's second seed, while Toronto's 61 points got them the third seed in the East. The biggest difference between the two was Winnipeg's goals against compared to Toronto's. The Jets only let in 141 goals versus the North Star's 169. This also affected the goal differential as Winnipeg finished +31 while Toronto finished at an even 0.

To go along with Winnipeg's advantage defensively, they also carry home ice advantage in the Challenge Cup Final, by virtue of finishing ahead in the regular season standings. So, while these two teams aren't separated by very much, I'm giving the edge to the Winnipeg Jets, because of their stronger defensive game and home ice.

(217 words)

TASK SIX:

<a href='index.php?showuser=1722' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-13'>Nereus</a> What's been the turning point this season to take the Jets over the top and into the Challenge Cup Final?

<a href='index.php?showuser=1478' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>Bonk</a> As a defender, who is the player you're putting your focus on for the North Stars?

<a href='index.php?showuser=2458' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-13'>Symmetrik</a> What's the biggest advantage that you have over the Jets that can help lead you to a Challenge Cup victory?