The Blues have been a band of unlikely heroes throughout Games 3 and 4 of their Round 1 series vs. the Winnipeg Jets. Since they’ve found a way to make Connor Hellebuyck look like a fringe No. 2 goaltender, a lot of players are putting up big numbers.
Cam Fowler has been the most surprising, but the blueliner has come into his own, averaging two points per game. No, that’s not a typo: Two points, not two hits, per game. Rare for a defenseman in the playoffs unless your name’s Cale Makar.
But anyway, another player has jumped out at me. A forward whose name is definitely not Pavel Buchnevich. Sure, Buchnevich has been great, especially when you consider his most recent hat trick. Not a bad way to swing some momentum when the stakes are at their highest, something Connor Hellebuyck has yet to get the memo for.
Still, another player has given Hellebuyck migraines this postseason. A player who I was rather tough on earlier in the year.
Blues have had an unlikely hero through the first four games
Back in October, I wasn’t impressed with Jake Neighbours following the first few games of the season. I also wasn’t impressed as the season progressed, excuse the rhyme, even if he ended with an eye-popping 18.0 shooting percentage and 22 goals. Not bad, but still regression from what we’d seen last season from a scoring standpoint.
Yet, you can’t argue with what Neighbours has done so far in the postseason, putting up five points and a goal. What’s more impressive? Neighbours has been a playmaker here, and one that I wish he’d be more of in the regular season. But still, if he steps it up in the playoffs and the Blues go another step or two further, I’m not complaining.
What’s even more impressive is that he’s only averaging 16:12 of average total ice time, over three minutes less than the other points leaders in Cam Fowler, Pavel Buchnevich, and Robert Thomas. That gives me a little more of a reason to endorse Neighbours so far in the postseason, along with the fact he’s been going to bat for teammates.
Will Jake Neighbours’ playoff success translate into 2025-26?
Yeah, that’s the burning question and one you might think is a little too early in the game to talk about. Still, we’ve seen one good year from Neighbours (2023-24) and one in which he improved in some areas but could’ve done better (2024-25). But his playoff success has been (sort of) off the charts so far, and one that I can’t help but get motivated for.
And it only takes one outstanding series when the stakes are at the highest they’ve been for a team like the Blues in a while for a player to get consistent. Neighbours has also shown more than a few flashes throughout each of the past two regular seasons, so he could be putting it all together here in the 2025 playoffs.
Given his overall body of work, I’m going to get bold and say yes, Jake Neighbours hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential. He can definitely be, and is turning into a surefire top-six talent for this young Blues team. We’ll see if he keeps it up.