Heartbroken Jets fans thank team for great season

Winnipeg Jets fans are crushed to see their team swept out of the NHL playoffs, but many are still proud of the Jets for making it into the postseason in the first place.

The Anaheim Ducks eliminated the Jets from the playoffs in four consecutive games, including Wednesday night's match in Winnipeg that ended with a 5-2 win for the visiting team.

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"I'm heartbroken. There's no way we should have been swept; we came into every third period with the lead and blew it," one Winnipeg fan said at The Pint, a downtown bar.

The Western Conference quarterfinal marked the Jets' first appearance in the postseason in 19 years. Winnipeg's original Jets franchise last competed in the playoffs in 1996.

On Wednesday night, fans at the MTS Centre and across the city cheered on the home team through to the final buzzer.

The Jets even received a standing ovation, and chants of "go Jets go" could be heard outside the arena for some time after the game.

"It's a tough loss, but it was good to see them in the playoffs anyway," another fan at The Pint said.

"Either way, it's good for the whole city, but unfortunately they didn't get one win in the whole series."

The impact that Jets fans and the Winnipeg Whiteout made during the playoffs was not lost on many. In an unusual move, "Winnipeg Fans" were named the third star of Wednesday night's game.

Support for the team also flooded hockey fans' Twitter and Facebook feeds, with many Jets fans — including Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman — expressing their continued support for the hometown squad.

Check out a selection of the online reaction below.

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