After a pair of blowout losses, the Winnipeg Jets look to regain their grip on the series as they return home for a Game 5 matchup against the St. Louis Blues.
The two road games were difficult for the entire Jets organization, but specifically Connor Hellebuyck. The 31-year-old was pulled from the net twice, allowing 11 goals on just 43 shots.
Tonight, the Jets will return to the Canada Life Centre, where they are 2-0 in the playoffs and are adding Gabriel Vilardi back into their lineup. The 25-year-old has been out since Mar. 23 with an upper-body injury but has been cleared to play, joining Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor on the top line.
Connor and Scheifele need a spark. Despite Connor recording three goals and five points and Scheifele adding two goals and five points, they were held in check in St. Louis. They'll need to generate more offensive chances to continue applying pressure to the Blues.
With Vilardi's return, David Gustafsson will be removed from the lineup, giving Jaret Anderson-Dolan another opportunity to showcase his value to the Jets. His addition to the lineup has provided speed and aggressiveness on the forecheck. He routinely wins puck battles and plays with a physical edge.
The final roster move the Jets have made is swapping Logan Stanley for Haydn Fleury. Fleury came into the lineup for Game 4 but played just 12:58 and was a -1.
Tonight's fixture can be considered the most important game of the season for the Jets. Losing tonight would allow the Blues to take the series lead back home with a chance to clinch the series. They'd hold all the momentum, and the seed of doubt would have sprouted inside the Jets locker room.
A win calms the nerves of the fans and ups their confidence, maintaining home-ice advantage.
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Line Combinations: Game 5 - Jets vs. Blues
The Winnipeg Jets are set to host the St. Louis Blues in Game 5 of the Central Division Semi-final - otherwise known as Round 1 - from Canada Life Centre on Wednesday night.
Jets Ready to 'Push Back' in Game 5
Following their disastrous 4-1 series loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the spring of 2023, former Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness blew up in his final post-game media conference of the season, citing Winnipeg's inability to push back against its opposition.