The Winnipeg Jets took Game 5 over the St. Louis Blues 5-3 on Wednesday night (April 30) and now lead the series 3-2, with an opportunity to win it in St. Louis in Game 6. This was a big hit to the Blues, who looked like they were restoring some life to their performance and figuring out this robust Jets roster, but they could not get it done. Let’s unpack some things the Blues can take away to prepare for Game 6.
Blues Let the Jets Get to Binnington
The Blues lacked a good defensive presence on backdoor plays close to goaltender Jordan Binnington, which was evident in the results of the two first-period goals they allowed. On the Jets’ opening goal by Kyle Connor, the Blues were too focused on getting the puck behind the net, trying to pressure Mason Appleton for the puck, and left Mark Scheifele open for an easy pass.
A player like Scheifele should have more of the defensive pressure emphasized towards him when a great shooter like Connor is setting up for a shot right in the middle slot, and the Blues were weak on covering both Scheifele and Connor. Two players were covering Connor: Nick Leddy and Alexandre Texier, who were dazed in front of the net and didn’t try to stop the play.
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On the second Jets goal, the Blues once again failed to prevent the Jets’ presence in front of Binnington and allowed Nino Niederreiter to get in front of him to close his space, forcing the tip-in goal. The Jets were also keeping the attack going in the Blues’ defensive zone, receiving more than 10 minutes’ worth of attacking time, enough time to create chances and tire the Blues’ defense on every play.
Overall, the Blues also allowed the Jets to take the higher shot volume in this game. They allowed more than 20 shots before the end of the second period, and the Blues struggled to get double-digit shots within the first two periods.
Blues’ Physical Presence Was Amplified on Jets’ Stars
Something the Blues have done best from the regular season to the playoffs was their physicality, and this game showed how much they wanted to set the tone physically. They were all over the Jets’ top stars, and the Blues were clearly trying to see if they could wear down Connor and Scheifele.
Luckily for the Blues, their method worked, and one of the two players they targeted was banged up. With Schiefele leaving the game after taking some big hits from Brayden Schenn and Radek Faksa, the Blues took out a key playmaker to the Jets’ offense. For the entire series, the Blues haven’t been afraid to lay the body, and this was just a result of them staying consistent with what they have been doing best throughout the series.
It seemed that after getting Scheifele out of the game, the Blues pressed Gabe Vilardi. Vilardi made his first appearance in the 2025 Playoffs with the Jets after recovering from an upper-body injury he suffered on March 23 in a regular-season game against the Buffalo Sabres. By going after Vilardi, the Blues showed they also tried to take down the weaker parts of the Jets’ lineup.
Hellebuyck Was Not Being Pressured Enough
A focal point ahead of this game was to get Connor Hellebuyck moving around and tired, which the Blues failed to execute. Hellebuyck was simply an X-factor in this game, and could patiently read every move the Blues made, despite getting beaten twice. Compared to the first four games, I think this was a whole new version of Hellebuyck, and he made sure that nothing would work for the Blues last night.
Hellebuyck also clarified before this game that he was “going to be better.” He certainly lived up to the expectation and was much better. Hellebuyck made big saves to stop the Blues, including a desperate paddle save on Schenn. After that, the Blues scrambled to find some good chances, but the Jets’ defensive support was too much.
When the Blues tried to gain an opportunity around Hellebuyck, the Jets knocked them down and boxed out the Blues from making backdoor plays. Just an all-around terrible result for the Blues, and they have to emphasize that for Game 6 if they want to survive and push for a Game 7. At this point in the series, they must remember that Hellebuyck is a top-tier goaltender willing to improve his game and be 10 times better than before; therefore, their attack must be better.
Where to Start Before the Blues Series Ends
First things first, the Blues need to be cautious of the Jets’ offense; they need to remember that they had the best offense this season, so making sure any threat in the defensive zone is taken down should be a must, and everyone must be covering with more urgency. Continuing their aggressive play is a must, and if they can mix in their physicality while covering scoring threats in their zone, they have a good shot at blowing the Jets’ hopes of taking an opening-period lead. Most importantly, they have to keep Hellebuyck moving. He didn’t get much of a sweat in this game, and the Blues didn’t get him working to the point where he looked exhausted. If they keep these three things in mind, Game 6 will be challenging for the Jets.
