The Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets open the 2024-25 playoffs at home against the St. Louis Blues with high hopes and an abundance of pressure.
The Blues enter the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the NHL, making a miraculous rise into the final wild-card spot. The Blues recently welcomed back 6'6 defenseman Colton Parayko from an injury, and he'll likely prove to be a key defensive contributor in shutting down Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.
Scheifele and Connor have carried the offensive load for most of the season, but without Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers, the weight on their shoulders grows.
The Blues sit around the middle of the pack in most team stats, ranking 13th in goals scored, 11th in goals allowed, 12th in shots on goal allowed and 16th in power play percentage. Their shooting and faceoff percentage rank inside the top 10, but their penalty kill ranks 27th, something the Jets will need their No. 1-ranked unit will need to exploit.
The goaltending matchup will be one to watch. In the past, Connor Hellebuyck has succumbed to the pressure of the playoffs, and while Jordan Binnington hasn't had the regular season dominance, he's proven that the bright lights bring out the best in him, as he demonstrated in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
If the Blues have hopes of pulling off an upset, they'll need Binnington to outperform Hellebuyck.
For the Jets, they'll need their defensive core to maintain its excellent play. HC Scott Arniel has everyone healthy and has picked what he believes to be the best six. They'll be relied upon to not only slow down the Blues' offence, but chip in with their own.
Puck drop is at 5:00 PM CST at the Canada Life Centre.
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