The Winnipeg Jets 2018-19 season – one that started with visions of Stanley Cup glory back in September and October – ends with a unceremonious thud.

Two months of questionable regular season hockey where they blew a rather large lead in a division race blended in to a playoff series where the Jets blew leads and just couldn’t “flip the switch” that we debated might not even have been there in the first place.

The Jets lose game six 3-2 in an uninspired effort (save for the last ten minutes of the game of course) and the series 4-2.

Another fast start to the game, but this time by the Blues who take advantage of a bad pinch and a couple of bad defensive plays including Dustin Byfuglien backing right into his goalie who had no chance in stopping Jaden Schwartz’s backhanded flip.

The period mostly belongs to the Blues as they had a 10-5 edge in shots in the first twenty minutes of play.  Scoring chances according to NaturalStatTrick.com are also in favor of the Blues 11-6. The Jets do have a breif flurry of activity just before the halfway point of the period, but it doesn’t amount to much thanks to solid defending and of course Jordan Binnington.

For as bad as the first period was for the Jets, the second period was even worse.

Like, one shot on goal worse.

The Blues of course added to their lead with a second goal that could have easily been called goalie interference, but because Paul Maurice used that challenge on the first goal – rather foolishly one might think – the Jets couldn’t challenge the second goal and it was done just slyly enough that neither ref was able to pick up on it.

But the Jets only managed one shot on goal, and worse yet, they looked lost on the ice. Lost, or maybe not caring. Who knows. I’d suggest the Jets were simply going through the motions in the second period, but that would imply that the Jets were actually moving and doing things in that period.

The Jets finally show up for the game with a few chances on the Blues goal, but by now it’s far too late. Jets had the edge in shots, but consider it score effects, especially after Jaden Schwartz put the dagger in the heart of the Jets with his third goal of the night – a natural hat-trick – less than four minutes into the period.

Paul Maurice juggled lines – except for Scheifele and Wheeler, because we know they can never be split up – and maybe that helped the Jets out as well, but it was mostly the Blues sitting back and nursing a three goal lead.

The Jets did at least get a pair in a cruel twist of a tease, a rebound goal by a streaking Dustin Byfuglien got the Jets within two and then a very late goal from Bryan Little give the Jets one last hope down by one. Almost fittingly, the game ended with Binnington making a pair of strong last second saves to preserve the Blues win.