Well, Jets fans, that was close, eh? After going down the way they did in last year’s postseason, giving up two goals on the first nine shots isn’t what you wanted to see. But, the Winnipeg Jets dug deep and found a way not only to win the game, but win it 5-3 in regulation at home on Saturday night.
Related: Connor Scores Late to Help Jets Beat Blues 5-3 in Game 1
There are a few negative things to take away from Game 1, and we’ll touch on that a little bit, but overall, this win had massive positives. Not just because they won the game, but the fashion in which they did it was incredibly impressive.
Here are three takeaways from the night that was.
Hellebuyck and Defense Digs Deep for Jets
Alright, let’s just get this out of the way. By now, everyone has heard the narrative heading into this postseason that Connor Hellebuyck is one of, if not the best, goalie in the NHL when it comes to the regular season. However, when it comes to the playoffs, his play falls off the map. That was especially true last season, when Hellebuyck gave up 24 goals in five games in Round 1 against the Colorado Avalanche. So, I can understand if concern was rising from deep within your soul when the St. Louis Blues scored two goals on their first nine shots on Saturday.
One of those goals came on the power play, as did their third goal at 1:13 of the second period, meaning that at 5-on-5, the Jets defense didn’t give up a whole heck of a lot. When they did, Hellebuyck was there to slam the door shut.
This isn’t meant to be negative, in fact, quite the opposite. The Jets are a different team than last season, and there should be a lot of faith that this team can make a deep run. Still, these are human beings we’re talking about. If we know the narratives, then they certainly do as well. After being down 1-0, then up 2-1, then blowing the lead with two minutes left in the first, to being behind 3-2 within 70 seconds of the middle period starting, it would be easy for doubt to creep in.
Jordan Kyrou’s 3-2 goal was the last goal the Blues scored, and the Jets completely locked it down. Again, when the Blues did break through, Hellebuyck locked it down as well. The Blues only had eight shots on goal in the final two periods.
Hellebuyck is a world-class goalie who can stand on his head with the best of them. But the Jets are also a very good defensive team, and when they limit shots like they did in the final 20 minutes of Saturday’s game, that does nothing but increase the confidence of Hellebuyck and the rest of the team.
Down But Never Out
The first takeaway shows the character of Hellebuyck and the defensive side of this team. This one shows the character of the offense. After a fast-paced opening 10 minutes, Robert Thomas scored for the Blues to make it 1-0. Within four minutes, the game was tied, and in less than six minutes, the Jets were up 2-1.
The first of the two goals was scored by Mark Scheifele on the power play. One of their best players found a way to get the job done, and quickly. The second goal was scored by Jaret Anderson-Dolan, a fourth-liner, who contributed at a key moment, which is something that every team needs come playoff time.
The Blues had a 3-2 lead for almost 30 minutes, but in the last 10 minutes of the game, the Jets dug deep and left Canada Life Centre with a 1-0 series lead. Alex Iafallo tied the game at 9:18, and the Jets poured it on from there.
Enter Kyle Connor. Connor is the team’s best goal-scorer, and he put his name in the goal column at just the right time. With 90 seconds left, Connor put the Jets up 4-3, sending the Winnipeg “whiteout” into a frenzy. Captain Adam Lowry sealed the deal with an empty-netter 43 seconds later.
When the Jets needed a goal, it was the perfect blend of star power and depth that got the job done.
Scheifele and Connor Lead the Way
The Jets are a very deep team, but if they’re going to go on a significant run this spring, Scheifele and Connor will have to lead the charge, and that’s exactly what they did in Game 1. Both of them had a goal and three points, and Connor had five shots to go with them.
Again, it’s the timing that was so impressive, at least for me. The Blues made the fans put their white towels down with the opening goal, but those towels were waving around in no time thanks to Scheifele. I really don’t need to explain why Connor’s goal was clutch, but scoring with 96 seconds left to give his team the lead is as clutch as it gets.
With the three-point performance, Scheifele is now the Jets’ all-time playoff point leader, with 41.
Jets Do What They Were Expected to Do
Winnipeg fans could have gone without the drama of the first 21 minutes. But at the end of the day, the Jets showed why they had the most points in the NHL and won Game 1 in style. The Blues are a very good hockey team, and they’re not going to roll over just because they’re the final wild card team. However, the Jets are the superior team, and they showed why on Saturday. Game 2 is on Monday night, back in Winnipeg.
