 Because of the way the playoffs were structured for much of their Winnipeg run, the team was all but assured of having to defeat either the Oilers or the Flames (or both) to reach the Conference Finals.In 1984–85, for instance, they finished with the fifth-best record in the NHL, only to be eliminated by the Oilers in the division finals.Two seasons later, they dispatched the Flames in the first round, only to be eliminated again by the Oilers in the division finals.