3 turning points that derailed Winnipeg Jets’ 2024-25 season ft. Hellebuyck’s playoff struggles

The Winnipeg Jets had one of the best seasons in franchise history. The club claimed the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in this franchise’s iteration. The previous version failed to claim a Presidents’ Trophy or division title.

As such, expectations were high heading into the postseason. But the Winnipeg Jets failed to make it out of the first round. The Jets fell to the Dallas Stars in a tough six-game series.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the three turning points that derailed the Winnipeg Jets’ historic 2024-25 season.

Three turning points that derailed the Winnipeg Jets’ 2024-25 season

#3 Running into a scorching Mikko Rantanen

The Winnipeg Jets got past the St. Louis Blues in a tougher-than-expected first-round matchup. The Jets’ second-round opponent was the Dallas Stars. With the Stars came a scorching Mikko Rantanen.

Rantanen was coming off a torching of his former team, the Colorado Avalanche. He carried that momentum, notching a hat trick in Game 1 and then notching three points in Game 3. Rantanen was a factor in every game in the series except for the Game 2 shutout win.

Had the Jets been able to contain Rantanen, they could have had a chance to win Games 1 and 3, potentially turning the tide in the series and advancing to the Western Conference finals.

#2 Jets’ power play dried up

The Jets’ lethal power play dried up against the Stars. The Stars managed to hold the Jets to a 3-for-21 clip. The lone game in which the Jets showed life with the man advantage was in Game 5 when they went 2-for-5.

Beyond that, it was radio silence for the Jets’ power play. The lowest point came in Game 6 when the Stars stayed out of the penalty box altogether. There was one lone penalty in the game, a tripping call on Mark Scheifele. The Stars made good on their only chance on the power play, winning the game in overtime.

The game went into overtime, with the Stars prevailing.

#1 Hellebuyck’s postseason struggles

Connor Hellebuyck’s postseason struggles resurfaced in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Vezina Trophy winner was chased three times in the first round against St. Louis. The back-to-back yankings in Games 2 and 3 evened the series.

Then, Hellebuyck’s lackluster performance in Game 6 forced a Game 7, one that the Jets came back to win in dramatic fashion.

While Hellebuyck rebounded to play well against Dallas, his struggles in the first round needlessly pushed the series to seven games. So, it’s fair to wonder that, if the Jets had closed out the Blues in four or five games, the Jets could have been well-rested before facing the Stars.

Plus, the Jets’ confidence could have been riding high. The fact that the Jets struggled to advance past the first round could have played a key role in preventing them from getting past the Stars.