Preview: The Blues and Jets meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2019 Western Conference First Round. The Blues won that best-of-7 series in six games and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in their history.
Winnipeg lost the 2024 first round in five games to the Colorado Avalanche after finishing with 110 points. This season, the Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy, awarded for finishing with the most points in the regular season. Will that success carry into the postseason?
Blues score first, Jets even it up in 1st period
The first nine minutes were physical by both sides…hard hits both ways…two shots for each team.
Blues are on the powerplay at 8:51, and there is an interference on Luke Schenn. At 9:31, Robert Thomas fires a wrist shot over Hellebuyck’s glove…a great feed from Cam Fowler, who made a great play to keep the puck in at the blueline. Pavel Buchnevich with the 2nd assist. Blues up 1-0.
Jake Neighbours takes a penalty with 6:58 left in the period. And the Jets capitalize at 6:22 a pass across deflected off Ryan Suter and popped up over Binnington, who had no chance, 1-1.
Jets go up 2-1 with 4:58 left. A shot from the blueline is neatly directed down and past Binnington…Jets 5th shot on goal.
Oskar Sundqvist ties it up with 1:50 left…beats Hellebuyck top shelf from the slot, where Thomas scored the first goal. Blues 8th shot…Zack Bolduc and Justin Faulk with the assists.
With 18 seconds left in period, a roughing penalty is called on the Jets.
Blues get the only goal in the 2nd period
Continuing the powerplay for 1:43, at 1:15, Jordan Kyrou blasts Hellebuyck high to the stick side…. It seems to be a theme to shoot high…Faulk and Neighbours have the assists. Sundqvist has a big screen in front.
Jets to the powerplay as Colton Parayko is called for tripping 2:06 into the period. No shots on the PP.
Kyrou with a breakaway with 2 minutes left, and he tries to go five-hole, and Hellebuyck can make the save.
Nick Leddy gets called for a trip with 15 seconds left in the period…carry over for the Jets into the 3rd.
At the end of the 2nd, the Blues lead by 1…3 to 2. Jets have the edge in shots, 17 to 15. A physical game is an understatement…Blues 48 hits to 30 for the Jets. Binnington standing tall with the answers…
Jets with three unanswered goals
Jets start on the powerplay with 1:45 carrying over. Binnington comes up with his best game save, moving from his right to a big stretch to his right, and makes the glove save. 2 shots on the PP.
Kyrou breaking in again and he gets hooked at 3:43…Blues to the powerplay. Zack Bolduc evens it up with a cross-check to a Jets player…an undisciplined penalty…4 on 4 for 38 seconds and then a Jets powerplay for 1:18. No shots.
Jets tie it up at 3 with 10:42 left…the puck passed out from below the goal line and was stuffed in under Binnington. Shots 22 to 16. Only 1 shot for the Blues through 10 minutes…
Jets have the edge in play in the 3rd period through 14 minutes …7 shots to 1 for the Blues…
3 MINUTES left in regulation…and with 1:36 left…the Jets win a faceoff and feed the puck around to Connor, who fires a one timer on the short side to beat Binnington… 4 to 3 Jets.
Binnington to the bench with 1:15 left…6 on 5 and 52 seconds left, and the Jets get an empty net goal…5 to 3.
With 19 seconds left, a skirmish breaks out…Neighbours, Schenn and Buchnevich are the main combatants for the Blues…And again with 3 seconds left the Blues take exception…but 3 unanswered goals in the 3rd period… this one belongs to the Jets.
Game 2 Monday night.