Preview: The Blues dominated in game 3, trouncing the Jets and all-world goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck allowed six of the seven goals the Blues scored. Hellebuyck’s kryptonite…the shot to the high side…was on display. The Blues powerplay was good…5 on five was good…the penalty kill was good…Jordan Binnington was good…Cam Fowler and Pavel Buchnevich were outstanding. The emotions were high, the physical play continued, and the crowd was electrified. Now, on to game 4, as the Blues try to send the series back to Winnipeg, which is tied at two games apiece.
Lineup remains the same for the Blues…no Ryan Suter again …
Jets outplay the Blues in period 1, but it's tied at 1
Darren Pang is in the house…and he says he hasn’t heard the crowd so loud…it’s another raucous crowd and 1:20 in a penalty on the Jets with a trip against Jordan Kyrou. No shots registered on the PP.
Pavel Buchnevich takes a roughing penalty 7:33 into the period. The Jets have the edge in shots, 5 to 3, going into the man advantage. Binnington makes 5 saves to hold off the Jets on the PP.
And now Tyler Tucker takes a tripping penalty with 10 minutes left. No shots on the PP…but a shot as the penalty ended, and Binnington makes an acrobatic save.
Blues with only 3 shots with 6 minutes left in the period and the Jets keep the pressure on in the Blues' end…unable to clear and after a shot off the post it’s backhanded in to a wide open side of the net…no chance for Binnington. 1 to 0 with 6 minutes left…their 12th shot.
Blues go 13 ½ minutes without a shot…penalties disrupting the game's flow. As the period is nearing its end, the Blues hold the puck in the Jets' end, and a shot from Colton Parayko rebounds to Jake Neighbours, and he whacks it out of the air to tie the game at 1 with 23 seconds left. Cam Fowler with another assist, whose shot banked off a Jet skate to Parayko. Jake’s first goal of the series. Fowler’s 8th assist of the playoffs.
Jets lead in shots 12 to 5.
Blues score 3 goals in period 2…
The Blues had a good start to the second period, controlling the play for the first five minutes…. The Jets then controlled the play for the next five minutes. Halfway through, shots were 19 to 10 for the Jets, and the score was still tied at 1.
Blues take the lead with 9:14 left…Tyler Tucker fires a one timer shot low to the stick side and the Blues have the lead. Nick Leddy and Texier with the assists…Texier had a great play along the boards to get the puck to Leddy. Oskar Sundqvist has a flash screen in front of Hellebuyck. Tucker scored his first playoff goal. 2 to 1 Blues!! 13 points by Blues defensemen.
Connor…Connor…Connor…Connor rains down from the crowd.
With 4:42 left, a penalty on the Jets…Tucker draws the roughing call…and as the penalty ends, Brayden Schenn finds a loose puck in the crease and flips it over Hellebuyck. 3 to 1 Blues…Parayko and Neighbours with the assists.
Connor…Connor…Connor…Connor…
With 1:06 left, Justin Faulk one-timed one from the blueline, and it deflected off the Jets defender and past Hellebuyck. 4 to 1 Blues…Neighbours and Schenn with the assists.
3 goals in the 2nd period for the Blues and 4 unanswered goals despite the shots being 23 to 17 for the Jets.
Blues pile on in period 3…
Robert Thomas makes it five straight goals for the Blues 2:01 into the third period. Sundqvist and Buchnevich with the assists. Thomas's deke and backhand pass past Hellebuyck, and once again, Hellebuyck is pulled for the second straight game. 5 to 1 Blues!!! Comrie into the game.
We Want Connor… We Want Connor… We Want Connor…is the new call from the crowd…
Panger with a save between the benches… we have 10 minutes left…shots 27 to 19 for the Jets.
Tucker goes down against the boards and is helped off the ice with 4:17 left.
Misconduct penalties…5 of them…happen in the last 3 minutes of the game…Nathan Walker and Luke Schenn together…Zack Bolduc, Appleton, and Lowry were all sent to the locker room. Lowery gets an extra 2 minutes to end the game.
Five defensemen have a point in the game…Game over…5 to 1 trouncing of the Jets…Binnington with 30 saves of 31 shots…Blues finish with 24 shots. Hits were even at 40 each.
3rd Star - Brayden Schenn…2nd Star – Jake Neighbours…1st Star – Jordan Binnington!!!