The St. Louis Blues left Winnipeg without a win, dropping both opening games of their playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets. Despite showing flashes of control and maintaining balanced performances through the first two periods in both matchups, the final frames told a different story—one where the Jets consistently found the edge.
Game 2 exemplified the razor-thin margin separating both teams. Each side recorded 22 shots, underscoring a tight contest marked by strong defensive structures and excellent goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck for Jets and Jordan Binnington for St. Louis. Yet, when the pressure peaked in the third period, Winnipeg’s execution proved superior.
The inability to sustain high-level play across all three periods now challenges head coach Jim Montgomery to rethink his team’s approach and mental focus. “Winnipeg made one more play than us. Both games. Shots are dead even. So, they’re just making one more play and their best players are making them,” Montgomery stated with pragmatic clarity after the narrow 2–1 defeat in Game 2, according to NHL.com.
Montgomery emphasizes execution
He elaborated on the critical breakdown leading to the game-winner: “I thought we had good puck pressure on the play up top and I think that play should be killed behind the net by us. And then we’ve got to be able to cover. We want to force the puck up high versus allowing 81 (Connor) to get a shot from the hash marks.”
Blues look to regroup at home
With the series now shifting to St. Louis, the Blues hope the energy of their home crowd and the strategic benefit of the last line change will help them claw back into contention on Thursday.
see also
NHL Playoffs: Kyle Connor sends clear message after Jets’ Game 1 win over Blues
Though frustration lingers from back-to-back late-game breakdowns, the narrow margins offer a sense of belief inside the locker room. Defenseman Colton Parayko stressed the importance of a complete effort: “Obviously they’re getting a couple of extra goals in the third. I don’t know, other than that, just continue to make sure we push as a group all three periods. That’s the biggest thing, putting together 60 full ones.“
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