The Winnipeg Jets return home to Canada Life Centre on Wednesday night to take on the St. Louis Blues in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. The series is tied 2-2 after St. Louis won back-to-back games on home ice. The Blues outscored the Jets 12-3 across Games 3 and 4 to even things up.
Winnipeg opened the series with two wins at home but struggled on the road. Now they’ll try to regain momentum where they went 30-7-4 during the regular season. The puck drops at 9:30PM ET with Winnipeg slightly favored on the moneyline.
Jets Preview – Home Ice Is Their Best Chance
The Jets finished first in the Central Division with 56 wins. They’ve leaned on strong defense all year, allowing just 2.41 goals per game. However, they gave up five goals in Game 4 and seven in Game 3, both on the road in St. Louis.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had a great regular season, leading the league with 47 wins and a 2.01 GAA. But in this series, he has struggled, with a 4.24 GAA and just a .817 save percentage. He was pulled in both of the last two games after allowing 11 goals on 43 shots combined.
Winnipeg is expected to get forward Gabriel Vilardi back from injury. Vilardi had 27 goals and 61 points during the regular season. The Jets will need more scoring from their top line, as they were limited to just one goal in Game 4. Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor have been quiet after a strong Game 2 showing.
Blues Preview – Binnington and Depth Fuel the Push
St. Louis is 5th in the Central Division and entered the playoffs as an underdog. The Blues are now even in the series after dominating Games 3 and 4. They’ve been getting timely scoring and strong goaltending from Jordan Binnington.
Binnington allowed only three goals across the last two games. He stopped 31 of 32 shots in Game 4 and has a .914 save percentage over his last five outings. His playoff GAA is 2.29, much improved from his regular-season numbers. He’s been key to the team’s recent success.
The Blues are also getting scoring from multiple lines. Pavel Buchnevich, Brayden Schenn, and Robert Thomas have all contributed. Defenseman Tyler Tucker left Game 4 with an injury, and veteran Ryan Suter is expected to rejoin the lineup. St. Louis is playing with confidence and crashing the net with every opportunity.
Betting Prediction
Winnipeg is listed around -165 on the moneyline with the total at 5.5. The Jets are one of the best home teams in the league and will be looking to bounce back with Hellebuyck back in form. St. Louis, though, has won two straight and has all the momentum.
If Hellebuyck doesn’t turn things around quickly, the Blues could steal another win. The under has hit in three of the last five meetings, but the Blues have scored 12 goals in the last two games. A close game is likely, but the Blues’ form makes them a strong underdog play with value.
Pick: St. Louis Blues +156
