01-05-2025
Jets look to win series Friday that has favoured the home side
ST. LOUIS — The Winnipeg Jets have been here before. This time, however, they hope to be the ones forcing the handshake line inside Enterprise Center and moving on to bigger and better things.
We take you back to April 20, 2019, when the St. Louis Blues hung on for a 3-2 victory in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series. It was a devastating development for Winnipeg, which had started the year with so much promise only to fade down the stretch. It would ultimately usher in a tumultuous off-season filled with change. For example: the franchise bid farewell to Dustin Byfuglien, who scored his final NHL goal that fateful night.
Jeff Roberson / The Associated Press Files
Dustin Byfuglien scores what would be his last NHL goal past St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington and teammate Blake Wheeler during the third period in Game 6 of the Jets first-round playoff series against the Blues, in 2019.
Jeff Roberson / The Associated Press Files
Dustin Byfuglien scores what would be his last NHL goal past St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington and teammate Blake Wheeler during the third period in Game 6 of the Jets first-round playoff series against the Blues, in 2019.
Meanwhile, surging St. Louis would ride the playoff waves all the way to a first franchise Stanley Cup championship later that spring, with Laura Branigan's Gloria serenading them every step of the way.
Fast forward to the present and what might Friday night and another crucial Game 6 between the Jets and the Blues bring? This time, it's Winnipeg on the cusp of advancing and St. Louis trying to stave off elimination.
A little revenge, perhaps? Six years in the making and served ice cold?
'The last one is the hardest one to get,' Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo cautioned Thursday.
It certainly is, especially for a Jets franchise that has only advanced past the first round twice in franchise history.
Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price, right, shakes hands with Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck after the Canadiens defeated the Jets in overtime in the Stanley Cup playoffs in Montreal, in 2021.
Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price, right, shakes hands with Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck after the Canadiens defeated the Jets in overtime in the Stanley Cup playoffs in Montreal, in 2021.
They did it for the first time in 2018, following a five-game series win over the Minnesota Wild and a seven-game nail-biter triumph against the Nashville Predators. The second occurred during the COVID-impacted 2021 campaign which included modified divisions and a 56-game schedule. The Jets swept the Edmonton Oilers to begin the playoffs, where they were quickly bounced by the Montreal Canadiens.
Now, a chance to go from the NHL's Sweet 16 to the Elite Eight for a Jets team that finished first-overall during the regular season but has been severely tested by a resurgent, resilient Blues team that has plenty of similar traits to that squad that ended their season.
'Honestly, the temperature and just the pace. It's amazing how much faster it's going and how much heavier it is,' Jets head coach Scott Arniel said Thursday of what he's seen so far.
'I know we can't bottle this up and do it for 82 games. This has been five games of sort of rock 'em sock 'em. Everybody, you got to know where you are, who's coming, you got to make plays fast. You got to do things quickly. Yeah, I don't think it's gonna change.'
Can previous hockey history, particularly between these fierce Central Division rivals, perhaps add some extra motivation?
There are seven players on the current Jets roster who appeared in that 2019 series although two of them — Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers — are injured and won't be available for this one. That leaves goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, defenceman Josh Morrissey and forwards Kyle Connor, Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev.
Fred Greenslade / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Jets' Luke Schenn (5) checks St. Louis Blues' Jordan Kyrou (25) during NHL playoff action in Winnipeg, Monday. The two teams' playoffs series has been a physical affair.
Fred Greenslade / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Jets' Luke Schenn (5) checks St. Louis Blues' Jordan Kyrou (25) during NHL playoff action in Winnipeg, Monday. The two teams' playoffs series has been a physical affair.
The Blues have five skaters: goalie Jordan Binnington, defenceman Colton Parayko and forwards Robert Thomas, Oskar Sundqvist and Brayden Schenn — who just put Scheifele on the shelf with a controversial first-period hit during Wednesday's 5-3 victory by Winnipeg in Game 5 that brought the spice level of the series up a habanero pepper or two.
And what to make of this fun little fact? During their previous playoff meeting, the visiting team won the first five games before St. Louis finally broke the trend and won on home ice in Game 6. It's been the opposite this time around with the home team winning the first five games.
Does that bode well for Winnipeg flipping the script this time around and being the first to win in the road in Game 6?
'Obviously, a team that's a lot like us that plays really good at home,' said DeMelo.
Winnipeg enjoyed their two visits to St. Louis during the regular season, winning here both times. It's been an entirely different story in the playoffs, with a pair of lopsided losses in Games 3 (7-2) and 4 (5-1). Jets captain Adam Lowry believes his team was far too tentative, perhaps taking the foot off the gas by virtue of winning the first two games in their rink and 'almost like we were protecting a lead in the series.'
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On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
Those were the 13th and 14th consecutive victories on home ice for St. Louis. Their last setback? February 22 against Winnipeg in a 4-3 shootout defeat.
The Jets need to find a way to bottle up the type of game that's become their calling card at Canada Life Centre and bring it on the road with them. Or, as Lowry put it, spend more time playing 'on our toes' just as they did in Game 5.
And maybe, just maybe, Hellebuyck will find his regular-season form that has led to a fifth Vezina Trophy nomination and a first-ever Hart Trophy bid. The fact Winnipeg leads this series 3-2 despite some shaky work from their No. 1 netminder, Ehlers out for every game, Vilardi being sidelined for the first four, DeMelo missing a game due to illness and now Scheifele on the shelf is quite something.
'I think (Wednesday's win) was right up there with one of the gutsiest efforts we have shown all year,' said DeMelo.
John Woods / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Will Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, left, be able to find his Vezina-form in St. Louis, Friday?
John Woods / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Will Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, left, be able to find his Vezina-form in St. Louis, Friday?
'Obviously, the magnitude of the game being 2-2 and trying to get that one to take the series lead and then dealing with one of your top players, if not, your top player being out of the lineup, having everybody rally and play hard, play the right way and do the right things and contributing up and down the lineup. We are going to need that again for sure. It's great that we got it last game, but we need to replicate that again to finish these guys off.'
Will it be handshakes or more heartbreak for the visitors in the Show Me State? One way or another, the Jets will be coming home this weekend. Whether it's to get ready for their second-round series or bringing the Blues back with them for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday remains to be seen.
'We just need to take the momentum from (Wednesday's) game and play the same way in their building,' said forward Vlad Namestnikov. 'It's a tough building to play in but I know we can get the win there.'
X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg
Mike McIntyreReporter
Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.
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