The Winnipeg Jets have been eliminated from playoff contention following a 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. This defeat officially ends the 2025-26 season for the Jets, who had a challenging season marked by an eleven-game losing streak.
The mathematical end to their playoff hopes came in Vegas on Monday night. While technically eliminated earlier by a Los Angeles Kings victory, the loss to the Golden Knights confirmed their absence from the Stanley Cup.
The first period saw no scoring, with Vegas outshooting Winnipeg 10-3. The second period was dominated by penalties, with limited 5-on-5 play. Vegas opened the scoring on a turnover, with Jack Eichel assisting Mark Stone.
Despite multiple power play opportunities for Winnipeg, they struggled to convert. Nikita Chibrikov drew penalties, and Nino Niederreiter and Jonathan Toews also took trips to the box. Vegas extended their lead to 2-0 with a deflected shot by Reilly Smith.
Early in the third, Vegas increased their lead to 3-0. Winnipeg finally converted on the power play, with Gabriel Vilardi scoring his 30th goal, assisted by Mark Scheifele. This milestone marked Scheifele as the first Jet in the 2.0 era to reach 100 points in a season.
However, Vegas quickly restored their three-goal lead. Scheifele later scored his 101st point, setting a new franchise high. The game concluded with Vegas scoring twice more on the power play, including a late goal by Eichel.
Vegas outshot Winnipeg 38-23 for the game, with Connor Hellebuyck making 32 saves. The Jets become one of the few teams to miss the playoffs the season after finishing first in the league standings. Their draft lottery odds for the upcoming season are sixth-best.