|
ST. LOUIS – The Winnipeg Jets will be looking to start on time and turn the tables on special teams.
Those were two of the overriding themes that bubbled to the surface in the days following a 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 3 of this best-of-seven battle between Central Division rivals.
Advertisement
Playing their first home playoff game since May of 2022, the Blues came out of the gate as though they were shot out of a cannon, scoring 48 seconds into the contest and adding a power-play marker at 3:11 to put the Jets in a hole they simply couldn’t dig out of.
“You’re down two goals three, three-and-a-half minutes into the game, you really put yourself behind the 8-ball,” said Jets captain Adam Lowry. “Execution, playing fast. There are things (the Blues) did really well that limited our ability to get to our transition to get to our forecheck, allowed them to get on the body and turn pucks over and put us on our heels.”
By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Jets had given up three power-play markers, which pushed the Blues to six goals in 15 opportunities, which means St. Louis is operating at 40 per cent efficiency through three games.
“Yeah, that’s too many,” said Jets forward Morgan Barron. “I’m sure there will be some adjustments to make, but the overarching theme is finding a way to bear down and make the plays when you’re there. If that opportunity exists to get clears, execute on faceoffs, get blocks, get saves, all of those things. We’ll tweak our systems.
“That stays within our room, but just executing when the plays are there.”
Because of the start time, there was no morning skate for either team to provide any clues regarding lineup changes.
For the Jets, defenceman Dylan DeMelo is expected to return to action after he was a late scratch in Game 3 due to illness.
St. Louis Blues’ Pavel Buchnevich (89) looks on as fans toss hats on the ice after he scored his third goal during the third period in Game 3 on Thursday. The Blues won 7-2. (Scott Kane / Associated Press files)
Up front, the only change being considered is whether forward Gabe Vilardi is ready to make his series debut after sitting out with a lower-body injury he sustained in a game against the Buffalo Sabres on March 23. Vilardi got rid of the non-contact jersey on Saturday and made it through the entire workout, though he was working mostly with the Jets’ fifth line with Dominic Toninato and Rasmus Kupari.
However, Vilardi did get some reps on the first and second power-play units.
With another two-day break upcoming, the Jets could consider dressing Vilardi to be used mostly on the power play or they could give him a few more days for further recovery.
During line rushes on Saturday, Barron moved up onto a line with Lowry and Mason Appleton. Barron already has two assists in the series and might provide a bit of an offensive spark, as the Jets look for more production from their second and third lines.
“He’s had a great series,” said Lowry, noting he wasn’t sure what Sunday would bring before singing Barron’s praises. “Big body, moves well, he’s done a really good job sliding into the middle. He’s able to control the ice and win his battles. If we get him on the line, controlling the puck down low in the offensive zone, winning forecheck battles. Really kind of making it a long night for their D, forcing them to defend, cycle with three big guys, get to the hard areas and use his speed and his skill. Down the stretch, he really showed some great hands, skill, a real tenacious player.”
The Blues are expected to make one change to the forward group, bringing back Mathieu Joseph for Alexndre Texier.
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck was pulled for the first time this season with 9:28 to go in the third period in Game 3 and while it was more of a mercy pull, there’s another level for the reigning Vezina Trophy winner to find since he’s allowed 10 goals in three games and is sporting a 3.52 goals-against average and .844 save percentage.
For the sake of comparison, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington has a 2.72 goals-against average and .877 save percentage.
There’s been plenty of talk about the Jets’ recent playoff history, but if you go back to 2018, when the Jets were beaten 6-2 by the Minnesota Wild in Game 3, Hellebuyck regrouped by posting consecutive shutouts as Winnipeg won the opening-round series in five games.
St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Kyrou (25) and Winnipeg Jets’ Adam Lowry (17) vie for the puck during the third period in Game 3 last week. (Scott Kane / Associated Press files)
The Blues have won 13 consecutive games on home ice and they’re feeling a renewed sense of confidence after narrowing the Jets lead in this series to 2-1.
“We found an identity and we believe in it and we know when that identity’s really on and we know how to try and get back to it now,” Blues head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters on Saturday, crediting the leadership group. “It’s togetherness.”
|
