The enormous chasm that once separated the Winnipeg Jets from the NHL's elite might have once been called The Great Divide.
Yes, when it came time to comparing the Jets to the NHL's Final Four over the past few springs, the differences were many and clear cut. It started with iffy goaltending and ran right through questions about the depth to a defensive foundation that had all the stability of a sand dune.
But now, following a year in which the Jets qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in their rebirth and made the franchise's first appearance since 2007, the lines that separate the Jets from the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning are blurred.