Scott Arniel Gives An Update On Brandon Tanev After He Took A Puck To The Face Against The Stars

Friday night at Canada Life Centre was a taste of the playoffs. As a pre-anthem, a combined "Go Jets Go" cheer echoed throughout the building.

Fans jeeringly chanted "Helly's backup" at Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger and bellowed in thunderous joy after each goal. Even off-key, fans spontaneously sang along to "Sweet Caroline" and "Hey Baby."

Winnipeg's 4-1 victory over the Stars wasn't business as usual, as everyone in attendance knew that.

According to Moneypuck.com, the Jets currently stand at a 90.1 percent chance to win the Central Division. Losing in regulation last night would have that drop to 70.5 percent.

Going against a red-hot Dallas team that had won eight of its past 10 games and brought on Mikko Rantanen in the trade deadline, Winnipeg showed they are able to play on the same level as the top teams.

The build-up to this game was driven by one question: how would the Jets compare against a bolstered Stars roster? Did this win ease concerns about how much more potent Dallas and Colorado got at the deadline?

As they've been doing all year, the Jets are not reading too much into regular-season wins. There won't be any partying unless it happens to lead to a Stanley Cup.

But the team has stayed humble, spending the bulk of the year sitting atop the Western Conference.

The only real negative? Brandon Tanev received a puck to the face during the game. Head coach Scott Arniel had an update later, and based off his joking manner, it doesn't appear that it is going to be all that serious.

A playoff atmosphere, a statement win, and one more battle scar for Tanev accumulated along the way.