Handshake Line: You've Got a Good Thing Going

This series was one of the closest sweeps I've seen since 2003 vs Detroit. The Jets played very well for at least two full games and parts of all four, and I don't feel the least bit stupid for thinking this one would take seven. (I have plenty of other things to feel stupid about. Go Sens.) Specially, I'd like to congratulate:

Jacob Trouba: What a player. This guy was a force up until he broke his hand in Game 2, and even after that he played alright. I'm glad the Ducks drafted Hampus Lindholm in 2012, but I would have been pretty darn happy with Trouba too. Unfortunately, he might best be known in this series as the guy Emerson Etem turned into a pretzel, but had he stayed healthy he would have probably continued to be Winnipeg's best player and might have been able to stave off the sweep.

Bryan Little: Again, what a player. One of the most legitimate first-line centers that people forget is a legitimate first-line center. He can snipe, as he proved in Game 4, but what I was most impressed with was his passing. Had some of his teammates made better plays, he could have ended up with a boat load of assists in this series. He (and Dustin Byfuglien) also played through some dislocated ribs.

Mathieu Perreault: We miss you and we don't understand why you're not still a Duck. (Theory: BM lost his mind right after getting Kesler and regained in before the trade deadline. (Because I'm a BM apologist. (Sorry for bringing that up.))) Anyway, you played pretty well this time around, which makes sense because you're good at playing pretty well. We wish you the best.

Ondrej Pavelec: Game Two was an absolute work of art and almost went Winnipeg's way solely because of the play of this guy. He's been the object of scorn for a good deal of his career (and not without reason), but he played a hell of a series and probably deserved at least one win.

Mark Chipman and True North Sports & Entertainment: Sounds like hockey is doing just fine in southern Manitoba. Good on these folks for bringing it back.

Winnipeg Fans: The White Out was a thing to behold, even on a TV screen. There's nothing I can say about Jets fans that hasn't already been said. Nineteen years is a long time to wait between playoff games, and if I was in the fortune-telling business I'd say they have a few more ahead of them next year.