Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets have sights set on much larger prize
Dylan DeMelo wants to bring Canadian hockey fans more than a Presidents' Trophy.
The Winnipeg Jets clinched the franchise's first Presidents' Trophy Sunday for most points in the NHL regular season even though they lost 4-1 to the Edmonton Oilers.
The achievement gives the Jets home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The last Canadian team to win the Presidents' Trophy was the Vancouver Canucks in 2011-12, who also won it the previous season.
DeMelo, who hails from London, Ont., was asked if he felt more pride in ending that drought.
"No, not really, to be honest," he said. "I think we want to be the first Canadian team since '93 to win the cup. That's what we're here for."
The Montreal Canadiens are the last club to claim the cup in 1992-93.
"To be able to have that ability to have home ice throughout the whole playoffs, and hopefully we can go on a long run and use that to our advantage," DeMelo said. "It's not the trophy we are after, but it's a nice accomplishment."
The Jets captured the trophy after Washington lost 4-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier in the night, leaving them unable to catch Winnipeg in the standings.
The Capitals (50-21-9) have 109 points and two games left to play. Winnipeg is at 114 points (55-21-4) and has one match left Wednesday at home against the Anaheim Ducks.
When the trophy news was announced, 15,225 fans at Canada Life Centre gave the team a standing ovation. It was Winnipeg's seventh consecutive full house and 15th of the season.
"It is definitely a great accomplishment," Jets forward Nino Niederreiter said following the game. "After 81 games, being able to get the Presidents' Trophy is a big accomplishment, but it is only the first step as now it is the playoffs that matter most."
Winnipeg's first-round opponent isn't known yet. The Oilers will take on the Los Angeles Kings in their opening round.
Connor Brown, Adam Henrique, Corey Perry, and Viktor Arvidsson into an empty net, scored for Edmonton (47-28-5), which has won three in a row. Connor McDavid had two assists.
Stuart Skinner made 17 saves for the Oilers, who host the Kings on Monday before finishing the regular season Wednesday in San Jose against the Sharks.
Alex Iafallo scored for the Jets, who had a three-game win streak snapped.
Backup goalie Eric Comrie made 35 saves for Winnipeg, which also ended a four-game win run at home.
Winnipeg already clinched top spot in the Western Conference and Central Division for the first time in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers' history. The Thrashers did win the Southeast Division in 2006-07.
Jets head coach Scott Arniel said the conference and division top spots were on the team's to-do list this season, but not the Presidents' Trophy.
"No, never," Arniel said. "Certainly, it jumped on there over the last month or so. At the end of the day, it's a heck of an accomplishment. Guys should be real proud of it.
"Just what we've gone through this year and to be right in the thick of things all year long, as one of the best in the league, it's a heck of an accomplishment. But at the end of the day, it's not the trophy we're after."
Brown flipped a backhand past Comrie 59 seconds into the second period for his 13th goal of the season and a 1-0 lead, extending his goal streak to four in three games.
Iafallo scored on the power play five minutes later. Henrique made it 2-1 at 12:39, seven seconds after an Edmonton power play ended and with the Jets extra defenceless.
Forward Morgan Barron had lost his stick and defenceman Dylan Samberg was lying on the ice grimacing in pain after a hard McDavid shot hit his left leg. He was helped off the ice and went to the dressing room.
Arniel said Samberg should be OK.
Perry and Arvidsson scored in the third period.
Edmonton was without injured defenceman Mattias Ekhom and forward Zach Hyman. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was ill.
"Tonight everyone played a really solid game," Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch said. "Whether it was the first or fourth line, all six defence. Obviously, [Skinner] had a solid game. So it was nice to see."
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