The Winnipeg Jets had a chance to advance to the second round for the first time since 2021 on Friday evening. For the first 30 minutes, the Jets played well and were tied 1-1. Then in the span of just over five minutes late in the second period, the team unravelled, as St. Louis scored four unanswered goals and ran away with this game, 5-2.
That sets up a winner-takes-all Game 7 on Sunday at 6:00 PM CT. However, there was plenty to take away from a disappointing Game 6 for Winnipeg.
Connor Hellebuyck gets pulled for third straight road game
For the third straight road game, Connor Hellebuyck was pulled from the game early. This time, he was taken out of the game between the second and third period after allowing five goals on 24 shots.
In his three games in St. Louis, he has allowed 16 goals and posted a .758 save percentage.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
Despite the shaky numbers, Scott Arniel deflected the blame to the players in front of Hellebuyck.
“Tonight was not about Connor. We imploded, right in front of him”
Despite what you may think about “playoff Hellebuyck” and his struggles in the postseason, there is no denying what we have seen so far in this series. Connor Hellebuyck is struggling, and the Brayden Schenn goal in this game is maybe the clearest example we have of that.
Schenn comes in one-on-one with Pionk, and fires from a relatively low-danger spot, and not only does Hellebuyck get beat by the shot, he looks confused in the process.
Hellebuyck has absolutely been better on home-ice, and the Jets will need him to be much better if they are going to win Game 7.
“One-game showdown. That’s what it is. Our whole group. Not just Connor (Hellebuyck),” Arniel said after the game.
While the entire team has to step up, no player is under more pressure to perform in the winner-take-all than Hellebuyck. Winnipeg’s MVP, and potentially the league MVP, has to play at a top-tier goaltender level in a game of this magnitude.
Nikolaj Ehlers returned to the lineup
With the injury to Mark Scheifele who didn’t play in this Game 6, the surprising news of Nikolaj Ehlers’ return was a positive development for Winnipeg.
Ehlers played 16:00 and had three shots on goal, his best chance coming on a two-on-one when the game was tied 1-1, and he had two opportunities and Binnington stopped both.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
He played on a line with Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti, and that line had a few good moments at five-on-five.
Perfetti netted his first goal of the series on the power play to get the Jets on the board, as he fought through a Parayko check and batted the puck out of the air and into the net.
If you are the type to look for positives out of a 5-2 loss, Winnipeg’s power play went 2-for-6, and their penalty kill went 6-for-6. Special teams has been a key disadvantage in this series so far for Winnipeg, and if they can ride that momentum into the deciding Game 7, that can be a huge advantage for them.
Regardless of Ehlers’ impact in this game, where he was clearly rusty and getting back up to speed, having him play a game before a pivotal, series-deciding Game 7 is a good thing for the Jets, who will look to get even more offence out of Ehlers in that game.
This sets up a franchise-defining Game 7
Wednesday’s Game 5 matchup was described as a defining game for this core group of players.
The same (and even more so) can be said for Sunday’s Game 7.
The playoff heartbreak from the past two seasons, the commitment to their core players, the pending UFA and RFA status of key pieces of the team, the Presidents’ trophy, their first ever Central Division title, and so much more. Everything that has been accomplished this season should lead to more than one round of playoff hockey, and what a disappointment it would be for this team if they were unable to pull it off.
They talked for days about needing to be better heading into Game 5. I expect the messaging to be the same heading into Game 7, and we’ll see if the response is the same as well.
Home-ice advantage has been kind to both teams in the playoffs. Can it come through one more time for Winnipeg?
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
Stay tuned to Illegalcurve.com for the latest news heading into Sunday’s season-deciding tilt.
