Jets at Blues
The Winnipeg Jets executed their plan nearly flawlessly, and need a similar effort Tuesday when they visit the St. Louis Blues for Game 4 seeking to even the Western Conference first-round playoff series at two wins apiece. Winnipeg looked like a team heading for an early exit after consecutive losses at home to open the series, but received two goals from forward Kyle Connor, a better performance from Connor Hellebuyck in goal, and held on to a third-period lead in Sunday’s 6-3 triumph.
“We’re building every shift, every game throughout the series,” Connor told reporters after netting his first two postseason goals, giving him three points in the three games. “We’re getting closer to our game, and it’s pretty dangerous.” Winnipeg remains in a dangerous spot given a loss Tuesday gives the Blues a 3-1 advantage, and St. Louis will be anxious to more closely resemble the team that roared from the NHL cellar to a playoff spot with a torrid second half. Rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington allowed more than four goals for the first time in his NHL career, and two assists from defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and forward Vladimir Tarasenko’s first goal of the series were not enough. “We had some good pushes,” Pietrangelo told the media afterward, “but overall we need to do better.”
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, CNBC, TVA, Sportsnet (Winnipeg), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
ABOUT THE JETS: Forward Patrik Laine scored for the third consecutive game, giving him nine goals in seven games against the Blues this season. Hellebuyck rebounded from a substandard performance in Game 2, stopping 26 of the 29 shots he faced and keeping the Jets in the game after allowing a late first-period goal. Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien finished with a goal and an assist, giving him five points in the series.
ABOUT THE BLUES: Binnington started strong, making 13 saves in the first period, but surrendered six goals on 16 shots after the opening period. Forward David Perron, who netted his second goal of the series, and Tarasenko both scored on the power play Sunday as the Blues finished 2-for-5 with the man advantage after opening the series 0-for-7. Pietrangelo has at least one assist in each game and four assists in the series.
OVERTIME
1. Jets F Mathieu Perreault picked up an assist Sunday after missing Game 2 with an undisclosed injury.
2. Teams winning Game 4 to build a 3-1 series lead, which the Blues will attempt to do Tuesday, win the series 90.1 percent of the time.
3. Including the regular season, the Jets are 3-0-0 in St. Louis and have outscored the Blues 19-8.