Jets seek redemption after offensive woes as Perfetti eyes a return to form against a struggling Blues squad.
The Winnipeg Jets will aim to bounce back after dropping their 14th game in 20 outings on Monday, falling 3-2 in overtime to the Ottawa Senators. Offensive struggles continue to plague the team, as both goals in the loss came from defensemen, leaving the forwards still searching for answers.
The Jets will look for a much-needed rebound when they go on the road Wednesday to face the St. Louis Blues. The Blues have endured a rough season with a 12-15-7 record and the league’s fourth-worst offense and have struggled to find consistency.
The memory of Cole Perfetti’s late game-tying goal in Game 7 of last postseason’s first-round series, which was the last time these teams met, may still linger for St. Louis. That defeat appeared to shake the Blues, but a chance for redemption now presents itself. With both teams desperate for a win, Wednesday’s matchup promises to be a compelling showdown.
Lineup Storylines
Winnipeg head coach Scott Arniel has made several lineup changes in recent weeks, yet the team’s offensive struggles persist. The lines are expected to remain the same as in their last two games, including Saturday night’s 5-1 victory over the Capitals. That win featured strong bounce-back performances from multiple players, including bottom-six forward Alex Iafallo, who extended his recent hot streak with three points over his last three games. His new linemate, Morgan Barron, also contributed a goal, and the third line will aim to replicate that success on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, veterans Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist continue to struggle and are overdue for a rebound performance. Star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, last season’s league MVP, should provide a major boost, allowing the team to play with confidence behind one of the league’s elite netminders.
One player who could especially benefit from a strong performance is Cole Perfetti. Last season, he stepped up when the Jets needed him most, scoring three goals in games six and seven of the playoffs, including the dramatic tying goal in the final seconds of game seven. Since then, however, Perfetti has struggled, failing to score in the remainder of the postseason and tallying just two goals and five assists (seven points) in 18 games this season. A standout game on Wednesday could help him regain the form that made him a 50-point player last season.
For the Blues, they're looking to get more out of their offense as well. St. Louis has no players this season averaging a point-per-game with prevoius standout players in Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway struggling to find the same footing this season. The strangest part of the Blues collaspe is the team is virtually the same with very few changes from the team that had just made the playoffs only a few months ago.
Their offense has almost completely disappeared with key players like Jordan Kyrou, Jake Neighbours, Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich all on track for significant down years. The hope for the Jets is that they can keep the Blues offense quiet for another night and avoid the eventual comeback that will come from their divisional foe.
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Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)
WPG ML (-143) | STL ML (+120)
WPG -1.5 (+170) | STL +1.5 (-208)
O/U 5.5 Goals
The Jets have defeated the Blues in six of their last seven regular-season meetings and have a long history of success in this divisional matchup, winning 14 of their last 17 regular-season games against St. Louis. This is a game the Jets should capitalize on and use as a building block to start turning things in the right direction. The Jets’ defense has long been considered one of the league’s best, and they have consistently shown that against the Blues, who have scored two or fewer goals in 13 of those 17 matchups. This trend has continued recently, with the Blues managing two or fewer goals in five of their last seven regular-season games against Winnipeg.
The Blues will try to counter, but Connor Hellebuyck will likely be the deciding factor. The 32-year-old Michigan native has historically dominated St. Louis, recording only eight losses in 25 games against them. The game is expected to be low scoring, as the Blues have confirmed Joel Hofer as their starting goalie. Hofer, 25, has performed well against Winnipeg, posting a 2.03 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage in five career games versus the Jets, numbers that are significantly better than his current season stats of a 3.15 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage. He will look to exploit a struggling Jets offense, which could make this a defensive-heavy matchup.
Goalie Matchup
Winnipeg: Connor Hellebuyck (Season: 9-6-1 record, 2.44 GAA, .915 SV% | VS STL: 17-6-2 record, 2.03 GAA, .928 SV% in 25 games)
St. Louis: Joel Hofer (Season: 5-7-2 record, 3.15 GAA, .890 SV% | VS WPG: 2-2-1 record, 2.03 GAA, .929 SV% in five games)
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