With the Jets out of contention for the Stanley Cup, Winnipeggers are now forced to pick a new favourite team to cheer on for the NHL's top prize.
That hasn't been hard for two city hockey fans with sons on the Vegas Golden Knights roster.
Myrna Eakin, the mother of Vegas centreman Cody Eakin, said watching her son's run through the playoffs has been like a dream.
"It's like, 'Pinch me,'" she told CBC News on Wednesday morning, less than 12 hours before the Golden Knights square off against the Washington Capitals for the second game of the final series.
"Every day you think yesterday was good, but the next day gets better. It's just been such a great ride."
The Golden Knights bettered the Capitals 6-4 in Game 1 on Monday to take an early lead in the seven-game series.
"To take it to this level, I'm still numb," said Myrna, who admits it was tough to watch her son play against the Jets.
"Watching the Winnipeg series was very difficult because being a hometown person and Winnipeg being my second favourite team, that was really, really stressful."
Same chairs, same clothes
That's changed for the Washington games, said Myrna, who watches her son's games from her favourite chair at home in Winnipeg.
Superstition keeps her at home.
"We're trying to keep everyone in the same chairs, wearing the same clothes and not bringing new people into the mix," she said.
After the team lost the first game of the third-round series with the Jets, while she was wearing a Golden Knights sweatshirt, Myrna switched her wardrobe with her daughter.
Her daughter wore the sweatshirt, Myrna changed into a jersey and the team won four games straight against the Jets.
She wore the jersey again Monday, and she's not changing the routine for the next game.
"Tonight it'll be the jersey," she said Wednesday morning.
She also has a photo of her late father set up for the games.
"He used to love to watch Cody play hockey," she said. "So I brought his picture out and it's now sitting on the end table towards the TV so he can watch this series play out.
"All those little things mean a lot."
'It's nerve-wracking'
Willard Reaves understands exactly what Myrna is going through.
His son, Ryan Reaves, has been instrumental in the Golden Knights' playoff run, including scoring the game-winner and series-clincher in Game 5 of the Western Conference final between Vegas and the Jets.
The Winnipeg-born right-winger scored an unassisted goal late in the third period of Monday's Game 1 to tie up the score and pave the way for the Golden Knights' win.
"It's nerve-wracking," Willard said about watching the games.
As a former Winnipeg Blue Bomber who was named the CFL's most outstanding player when the team won the Grey Cup in 1984, Willard knows better than most how his son is feeling.
"He knows it's time to go to work," he said.
"It's like any other game, but this game here is just a little more important because this is it."
Willard took some heat from Jets fans when he showed up at games wearing the opposing team's jersey, but it was all in good fun.
"The passion from the Jets fans for their team was very high," he said. "Their team has never gotten this far, and to get this far and all of a sudden come up short is heartbreaking for them.
"In the same sense, it was very exhilarating for Golden Knights fans and for the parents."
Willard worked during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals but was able to catch some of the game on the radio.
Although her superstitions have kept her watching games from home, Myrna will break with the tradition next week when she joins family members heading to Vegas for Game 5.
The family bought one-way tickets and plan to stay in Sin City for Games 6 and 7, if necessary.
"We'll be there till the end," she said.
"I just can't believe I'm watching the Stanley Cup playoffs and my kid's on the ice."