Jets beat Blues to keep playoff hopes alive

The Winnipeg Jets have been on a tear since the Winter Olympic break, looking more like the team of old than simply an old team.

And the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners kept their playoff torch burning Thursday night, fending off near-certain elimination with a tidy 3-2 road triumph over the St. Louis Blues.

Make it three straight “must-win” victories for a resilient group that refuses to let its flame be extinguished.

“There is no quit in our group,” Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey told the team’s radio rights holder CJOB, following the game.

“Obviously, there is a lot of work left and the only thing we can do is basically win every night here to close this stretch out. I am just proud of the way the guys have been resilient and calm in games. Like, whenever we get down, as we did tonight, whatever happens we just keep going, keep competing and trying to execute and do all of the little things it takes to win.”

The Jets, at 35-31-12, pulled to within two points of the final Western Conference wildcard spot as of press time. That could grow to three points if the Los Angeles Kings (one point up on Winnipeg and playing Vancouver at press time) were victorious.

Winnipeg has just four regular-season games remaining and will likely need to run the table. But if they keep up the level of play we’ve seen in recent outings, they certainly have a fighting chance.

Go figure that shedding a few aging, slower skaters in place of some younger speed and skill would make a difference as everyone is suddenly pulling in the same direction and contributing in both big and small ways.

“Guys are doing a good job of getting in shot lanes and taking hits to make the play, sacrificing when they have to and that’s all of the stuff that makes it hard on the opposition and sort of fires up our bench when guys are doing that stuff,” Jets coach Scott Arniel told CJOB.

“It’s not just five, six or seven guys, everybody is doing it. In their own little way, they’re contributing and helping battle and compete and just staying in games like we’ve been doing.”

St. Louis had collected points in 16 of 20 games since NHL players returned from Italy, which was the best mark in the West. Right behind them is Winnipeg, which is now 13-5-4 in that span. The Blues, now 33-33-12 overall, have run out of time. They are toast.

GOLD MEDAL REMATCH

Same goalies, slightly lower stakes. Same result.

The last time we saw Connor Hellebuyck and Jordan Binnington on the ice at the same time, they were facing off for the gold medal in Milan. Hellebuyck put on a show that day as his United States squad downed Binnington’s Canadian crew in overtime.

Hellebuyck stopped 20 of 22 in this one, including a a brilliant point-blank one off Blues forward Jake Neighbours in the second period when the score was tied. He also had some help from Morrissey, who used his stick to steal what looked like a sure goal by Dylan Holloway earlier in the game.

“Just this time of year is desperation hockey, so try to keep out of the net. And you know what? Thankfully, it didn’t go in,” Morrissey told CJOB.

Holloway had opened the scoring early in the first period, while St. Louis defenceman Colton Parayko — Morrissey’s partner at the Olympics — beat him with a wicked wrister late in the final frame.

Hellebuyck has been an absolute workhorse, starting 19 of Winnipeg’s last 21 games. He’s likely not going to vacate the net unless the Jets either clinch a spot or are knocked out of contention.

Binnington was terrific as well — not to mention much busier — as the Jets fired 34 shots, including a season-high 16 in the first period.

CENTURY MARK

Jets centre Mark Scheifele continued his stellar run of play with assists on Winnipeg’s first two goals by Alex Iafallo — it was a heck of a pass to set up his linemate’s 13th of the year — and then a secondary helper on Morrissey’s 12th of the campaign.

Add it up and Scheifele is now at 99 points on the year — including 16 in the past eight games alone. He’s stepping up huge when his team needs it the most.

That’s already a dozen more than his previous career high. Scheifele came close to the century mark in the third period when Iafallo just missed on his second of the night.

The 33-year-old sits fifth in NHL scoring, trailing only Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini.

GAME-WINNER

The Jets signed Jonathan Toews last summer to hopefully come up with some key contributions. And they got one Thursday as he finished off a slick passing play with linemate Cole Perfetti to score his second goal in as many games and 11th of the year.

It came just 100 seconds after Morrissey’s goal, giving the Jets a 3-1 lead at the time.

Toews, 37, may not have the foot speed he once did, but there’s no question the hands are still there. It wouldn’t be a surprise, once this season is done, to see the Jets and the hometown product — who was just selected as Winnipeg’s Masterton Trophy nominee — come to an agreement on a one-year contract extension.

FROM ANGELS TO DEVILS

The Jets had been hockey angels since the Olympic break, taking the fewest number of penalties amongst all NHL teams. In their last two games, they’d been shorthanded for a grand total of nine seconds, with Scheifele taking the lone infraction at 19:51 of the third period last Saturday in Columbus.

Thursday was a different story.

The Jets took five minor penalties on the night, including a high-stick by Morrissey with just under three minutes left to play which led to a Blues six-on-four once they pulled Binnington for an extra skater.

Fortunately for Winnipeg, the much-maligned penalty kill came up big. Although Holloway’s goal came with the man advantage, the Jets stood tall on the next four — allowing just a single St. Louis shot during those eight combined minutes.

“Obviously called upon a bunch and thought it did a good job. We gave the one there in the first but after that came up big, and in some key moments in the game,” Morrissey told CJOB.

The Blues only took one penalty, with the Jets unable to capitalize.

KEY PLAY

The beautiful play between Perfetti and Toews which put the Jets up by a pair and ultimately stood as the game-winner.

THREE STARS:

1. WPG C Mark Scheifele: 2 assists

2. STL LW Dylan Holloway: 1 goal, 1 assist

2. WPG D Josh Morrissey: 1 goal

EXTRA, EXTRA

This marked the first time in the past 12 games (including playoffs) where the visiting team has won a game in the head-to-head battle between the Jets and Blues.

Winnipeg won three of four meetings this year, with just 15 combined goals in the games (1-0 St. Louis, 3-1 Winnipeg, 3-2 Winnipeg, 3-2 Winnipeg).

Defenceman Ville Heinola was Winnipeg’s lone healthy scratch. Blue-liners Elias Salomonsson and Colin Miller and forwards Morgan Barron and Gus Nyquist remain injured.

The Jets return to action on Saturday evening when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at Canada Life Centre.

winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre