The Jets close out the 2016-17 season with their seventh win in a row after the final game results in a 2-1 win over the playoff bound Nashville Predators.

The win sets a new franchise record. At no time in their 16 years as an NHL franchise has the Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets won seven in a row. Three times they’ve won six, but never seven.

It’s ok if you feel a bit bitter sweet about this or even just plain ‘ol bitter. You wouldn’t be a fan if you didn’t to be honest. After all the ups and downs – a lot more downs than ups – this team has had this season, it’s been hard not to see what this club has done the last two weeks and go “where was this back in November or December?”

This game had many hallmarks that have made this Jets season what it was.

The first period for the Jets was good, the second period was really bad and the third period was even better than the first and made you wonder why the Jets just couldn’t have done that in the first two periods.

It’s fitting that the team was plagued by penalty issues in the first half of the game even if maybe a call or two was a bit on the questionable side. Come to think of it, that more calls against Winnipeg were (or at least felt) on the questionable side than legit was appropriate as well. The team – like it or not – has a reputation with the refs and has had it for a couple of seasons now.

It was even more fitting that the Jets gave up the first goal of the game and did so after they finally got a power play in the second period, committed a turnover in the neutral zone (done by the normally sure handed Bryan Little, go fig), and then gave up a short handed breakaway goal to Ryan Ellis.

The second period was awful. Outshot 21-6 and it was only by the grace of a very solid Connor Hellebuyck that the game didn’t get any worse than the 1-0 lead Nashville had. The corsi in the second period was even worse for Winnipeg as the Preds had a 32-12 edge on shot attempts.

The third period was the Jets at their best which they’ve shown flashes of all season. Outshot the Predators 16-6 and their shot quality was maybe the best it had been in the entire win streak and the two goals they did score to lock up the win felt more like an inevitability rather than a happy coincidence.

Kyle Connor ended up being bumped up to the 3rd line halfway through the game and promptly displayed why Jets fans should be excited by his future as he forced a turnover at the red line, passed off to Lowry and then got the return feed for a short breakaway goal.

The Jets – again fittingly – took a lazy penalty late in the game and it looked like they would make things as hard on themselves as possible, but then Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele flipped the script and scored on a 2 on 1 short handed chance to win the game.

You don’t have to stress out about the playoffs if your team isn’t in them.Just sit back and eat some popcorn…