WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets are headed to the Stanley Cup Final after defeating the Seattle Kraken 4-1 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final at Canada Life Centre.
Winnipeg now awaits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final, where the New Jersey Devils have rallied to tie their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 3-3.
Seattle entered Game 6 hoping to rediscover the momentum that helped erase a 0-2 series deficit earlier in the matchup. The Kraken had battled back with wins in Games 3 and 4, but Winnipeg regained control with a Game 5 victory and carried that momentum home.
The opening period favored Seattle. With just one second remaining before intermission, Mason Marchment buried a one-timer to give the Kraken a 1-0 lead.
The Jets answered late in the second period when Gabe Vilardi tied the game with 5:21 remaining in the frame. However, Winnipeg suffered a scare moments later when Nino Niederreiter exited with a lower-leg injury after being struck by a shot from a teammate.
With the score tied 1-1 entering the third, Winnipeg took over.
Early in the period, Kyle Connor generated a dangerous chance from close range that Joey Daccord initially stopped, but Mark Scheifele beat everyone to the rebound and snapped the puck under Daccord’s stick to give the Jets their first lead of the night.
Winnipeg continued to press and found insurance with 5:24 remaining when Vilardi fired a snapshot past Daccord for his fifth goal of the playoffs and a 3-1 advantage. Jonathan Toews later added an empty-net goal to seal the victory and send the Jets to the Stanley Cup Final.
