The St. Louis Blues fell short in game five of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets. The Blues kept it close for most of the game, but the Jets pulled away late in the second period. However, the Blues will have a chance to even up the series tonight with the Jets down their best forward. Mark Scheifele left the game five after only playing eight minutes and will not be traveling with the Jets to St. Louis for game six.
Early in game five, Scheifele went into the corner to pick up the puck but was met by Brayden Schenn, who delivered a heavy hit to his chest. He looked to be a little shaken up, but got up right away and kept playing. Scheifele took another big hit a bit later in the period. Scheifele was breaking the puck into the Blues' defensive zone when he got crushed by Radek Faksa, who knocked him hard to the ice. Scheifele did not return after that hit, and a day later, Elliotte Friedman confirmed that he would not be traveling with the team to St. Louis. It is a big blow for the Jets, who were already out Nikolaj Ehlers and just got back Gabriel Vilardi, who made his series debut in game five. The Jets announced that Ehlers will return tonight to make his series debut, but the injury to Scheifele will make it more difficult for the Jets to close out the series.
No one likes seeing a star player get injured. As a fan, you want to see your team beat the best, but this could be the break the Blues needed to take over the series. Scheifele has been great for the Jets so far this series. His connection with Kyle Connor has caused the Blues problems, especially when the Jets play at home. Now that Scheifele is confirmed to miss at least game six, the Blues need to take advantage of this opportunity if they want to force a game seven.
The Blues will likely have the advantage down the middle of the ice, with Vladislav Namestnikov slated to fill in for Scheifele on that top line. While the Jets' powerplay has yet to cause the Blues problems in this series, converting at 14.3 percent, it is still a loss to their first powerplay unit. However, it is not only the play on the ice that the Jets will miss, but Scheifele is one of the team's leaders, as the former captain and now alternate captain. It is a massive loss for the Jets, and now it is up to the Blues if they can take advantage of this opportunity.
While the Jets work to fill the void left by their top centerman, the Blues must capitalize with a strong performance. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck has struggled so far this series. The likely 2025 Vezina winner has not looked close to the way he did in the regular season. With the loss of Scheifele, the pressure will shift to the Jets' netminder, which could be a good thing for the Blues, as Hellebuyck has not been his best in high-pressure moments. The Blues will need to do a better job of getting shots on the net, and they will need to do that early in game six. If the Blues can rattle Hellebuyck early, the Jets may not have the firepower without Scheifele to claw their way back into the game. The Blues need to seize the moment tonight, play to their strengths, and force a game seven back in Winnipeg.