Winnipeg Jets: Three Talking Points as the Jets Lose to the St. Louis Blues
The Winnipeg Jets faced their Central Division rival, St. Louis Blues, on Tuesday night in a game that ended with a shootout victory for the Blues.
The Winnipeg Jets played the fourth game of their seven-game homestand against the Central Division-leading St. Louis Blues on Tuesday at Canada Life Centre.
This was the first meeting this season between the Jets and a team that they know very well from past Central Division playoff series against the Blues. The Blues have started out the season hot with a record of 7-2-1 coming into the game against the Jets.
The Jets were coming off of a 2-0 loss to the New York Islanders in their last game. Starting goaltender Connor Hellebuyck returned to the Jets lineup following the birth of his first child and a short absence due to a non-Covid related illness.
Unfortunately, that was not enough to propel the home side to victory against the Blues. Here are three talking points from the Jets shootout loss:
3. The Jets Missed Scoring Opportunities
The Jets outshot the Blues 41- 33 overall, including a second period where they outshot the Blues 17 – 5. Neal Pionk and Kyle Connor scored for the home side, and both players had additional opportunities to score and could not convert.
Those players were not alone on the evening as Pierre Luc Dubois, Nikolaj Ehlers, Andrew Copp, and Blake Wheeler all had opportunities to score for the Jets and could not finish.
Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was excellent last night. He looked like the version of the goaltender that took the Blues to a Stanley Cup victory in 2019. Connor Hellebuyck was understandably a bit erratic in his return after his absence.
Hellebuyck looked rusty on the first Blues goal by Pavel Buchnevich. However, in the overtime period, Hellebuyck was outstanding.
Congratulations to captain Blake Wheeler for scoring his 700th point on an assist on the Jets’ second goal. However, if the Jets want to compete in the Central Division, they will their scorers to convert on a higher percentage of chances.