Connor nets winner as Jets beat Blues 2-1, lead series 2-0
WINNIPEG — Mark Scheifele had a goal and assist and Kyle Connor scored his second consecutive game-winner in the third period to propel the Winnipeg Jets to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Monday and a two-game lead in their opening-round playoff series.
It was the first time in three seasons the Jets have started with a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference best-of-seven contest. The past two years, Winnipeg won the first game and then lost the next four to be eliminated.
St. Louis hosts Game 3 on Thursday.
Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves in front of a full house of loud, white-clad fans at Canada Life Centre.
Rookie Jimmy Snuggerud scored his first playoff goal and Jordan Binnington stopped 20 shots for eighth-seeded St. Louis.
The Blues continued their hitting ways from the first game's 5-3 loss and the Jets didn't back down.
Within the first minute of Monday's tilt, St. Louis skaters delivered five hits. Winnipeg responded with a pair of their own.
Six-foot-seven Jets defenceman Logan Stanley later crushed Jordan Kyrou into the boards. The forward carefully went to the bench with about seven minutes remaining in the period.
Blues captain Brayden Schenn, who had seven hits in the first period of Game 1, skated across the ice and flew into Jets captain Adam Lowry. He finished with four hits in the period.
Scheifele scored on a great effort to get around a St. Louis defender and then fired a backhand from the slot. The puck bounced off Snuggerud into the net with 3:28 left.
Winnipeg didn't capitalize on two power plays, but the Blues cashed in on their first one.
Snuggerud made up for the earlier bad bounce by sending the puck high over Hellebuyck's blocker side on the man advantage with two seconds remaining in the frame to make it 1-1.
Blues head coach Jim Montgomery had flipped Snuggerud and left-winger Jake Neighbours for the game, moving the former University of Minnesota star from the second line to the top one with centre Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. He said the motive was producing more offence.
Both teams tallied 16 hits each in the first period, and the Blues outshot the Jets 10-8.
St. Louis came up empty on two power plays in the second period and both teams fired seven shots at the goalies.
Connor made it 2-1 at 1:43 of the third period after getting a feed out front by Cole Perfetti at the side of the net.
The Blues got their fourth straight power play six minutes later, but Winnipeg's defenders killed it.
SWITCHING SETTINGS
As the series moves to St. Louis, the Blues will try to capitalize on their 24-14-3 regular-season home record, including 12 consecutive victories.
The Jets went 3-1 against the Blues in their four-game regular-season series, winning two matches in Missouri.
Winnipeg, which had a 30-7-4 regular-season record at home, earned home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs after capturing the Presidents' Trophy for the NHL's best regular-season record.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2025.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
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