It’s a brand new season. Own team of a possible 16 is going to win 16 games over the next few weeks and lift the most coveted trophy in all four major sports, the Stanley Cup. The St. Louis Blues are one of those 16 teams, and they face off against the best team in all of hockey in the first round, the Winnipeg Jets.
On Saturday night, the puck drops for this best-of-seven series, with the stakes rising with every shift, shot, and hit on the ice.
Let’s give this one a preview.
Playoff time
This is what all those 82 regular games were for. It came down to the Blues' absolute last chance to get into these playoffs. Meanwhile, the Jets had clinched their spot back on March 26.
This is the most exciting time of the year, as these games are turned up to 11. Hits are fully loaded, shots are strategic and plentiful, and even the crowd gets to be a part of the game with their noise and sound. There is a valid argument that the NHL playoffs are the best among all four major U.S. sports.
The Blues have a tough battle in the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets, but they always have a chance. These two teams faced off against each other on four occasions this season, with the Blues having a record of 1-2-1. The games were close, which makes this series a very interesting one.
Both sides are seemingly healthy and ready to go, aside from the Jets possibly missing Alex Iafallo, and the Blues are still uncertain about Dylan Holloway.
For the Blues, their eyes are focused on here and now.
This is what you play for," Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. "This is what you train for in the summer, and this is what you play for all year, to have a chance at the Stanley Cup. Just have to get in, and anything can happen. We saw that years ago, and we've been on a good run here.”
Truly anything can happen in these games, as both sides have some great players.
The matchup to watch in this series is the goaltending. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck has been phenomenal this season, with a 47-12-3 record and eight shutouts. Historically, though, he has been less than stellar in the playoffs, with a career record of 18-27.
On the other side, Binnington has been adequate this season, with his highlights coming from after he led Team Canada to a championship at the 4 Nations Faceoff. Down the stretch, he was 8-1-1 in his last 10 starts of the season to help give the Blues their playoff berth. He has the Stanley Cup victory from the 2018-19 season, and has a record of 20-20 in the playoffs.
The puck drop in Winnipeg with be at 5 PM CT.