Playoff dreams hang in the balance as the Jets face the Blues. Crucial matchups and strategic line shifts determine postseason fate.
The 34-31-12 Winnipeg Jets are down in St. Louis for a critical clash with the 33-32-12 Blues with the 2025-26 season on the line.
It will possibly be a playoff fate-deciding game for both clubs, which currently sit behind Nashville, Los Angeles and San Jose for the final Western Conference wild card spot.
Photo by James Carey Lauder/USA Today If either team wants to make the postseason, a near-perfect record will be required, while all other competitors will need to see disastrous outcomes in their remaining regular season contests.
Winnipeg will dress the same lineup it laced on Monday - a 6-2 win over the visiting Seattle Kraken. Connor Hellebuyck will once again get the start in goal, while Jacob Bryson remains in the lineup as Elias Salomonsson continues to recover from a concussion. Gus Nyquist and Morgan Barron remain out, injured as well.
Winnipeg Jets expected line combinations for Thursday, April 9 at St. Louis:
Connor-Scheifele-Iafallo
Perfetti-Lowry-Vilardi
Koepke-Toews-Rosén
Niederreiter-Namestnikov-Lambert
Morrissey-DeMelo
Samberg-Pionk
Fleury-Bryson
Hellebuyck