ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues have found their playoff swagger — and just like that, this series is wide open! Five unanswered goals lit up Enterprise Center as the Blues hammered the Winnipeg Jets 5-1 in Game 4 on Sunday, evening up their Western Conference First Round series at two wins apiece.
Blues Crash the Net and Crash the Party
It wasn’t pretty — and that’s exactly how the Blues like it. Captain Brayden Schenn set the tone with a gritty effort in front of the net, a recipe that’s working all across the NHL playoffs this year.
“You get pucks and people and traffic to the net, shoot the puck, and good things happen,” Schenn said postgame. “That’s playoff hockey.”
Jake Neighbours led the charge with a goal and two assists, while Jordan Binnington slammed the door with 30 saves. St. Louis, the West’s second wild card, has now scored 12 goals in two home playoff games.
Hellebuyck Pulled Again as Jets Struggle
The wheels are wobbling in Winnipeg. After a rock-solid regular season that earned them the Presidents’ Trophy, the Jets have now seen star goalie Connor Hellebuyck pulled in back-to-back games. Hellebuyck gave up five goals on just 18 shots before being yanked early in the third.
Despite the blowout, Jets coach Scott Arniel is standing firm behind his No. 1 netminder.
“His resume speaks for itself,” Arniel said. “We have to be better in front of him. It’s a team game — now it’s a best-of-three.”
Kyle Connor had opened the scoring for Winnipeg in the first period, but the floodgates opened after that.
Defense Steps Up Big for St. Louis
St. Louis’s blue line was firing on all cylinders, with defensemen scoring four goals across Games 3 and 4. Tyler Tucker hammered home a one-timer for his first career playoff goal, and Justin Faulk added another off a deflection.
“We’re moving our feet more,” coach Jim Montgomery said. “When we do that, we’re getting cleaner looks and our D can activate offensively.”
Schenn, Faulk, and Robert Thomas all added second-period daggers to bury the Jets, and by early in the third, Hellebuyck’s night was done.
Series Heads Back to Winnipeg — Now a Best-of-Three
The series now shifts back to Canada Life Centre for a pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday night. With momentum firmly in St. Louis’s corner, the Jets will need to rediscover their game — and quickly — if they want to avoid a massive upset.
“This is what we worked 82 games for,” Arniel said. “Now it’s about protecting our house.”
Injury Watch
Tyler Tucker left late in the third period with an apparent leg injury after a collision with Brandon Tanev. No update yet from the Blues, but coach Montgomery said more information should come Monday.
🏒 What’s Next: Game 5 Preview — Blues vs Jets
The Western Conference First Round series is now down to a best-of-three, and momentum has swung hard toward St. Louis.
The Blues have outscored the Jets 12-3 over the last two games, chasing Connor Hellebuyck twice and regaining their playoff swagger. But now the series heads back north — to Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg — where the Jets will try to lean on their regular-season home dominance.
Key Storylines for Game 5:
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Can Hellebuyck bounce back? Winnipeg’s All-Star goalie has a career playoff record to defend after back-to-back rough outings.
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Blues’ Physical Play: St. Louis’s aggressive, net-crashing style has completely turned the tide. Will Winnipeg find an answer?
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Injury Watch: Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker’s status is up in the air after leaving Game 4 hurt.
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Special Teams Battle: The power play edge has been critical — whichever team tightens up will have the inside track.
Game 5 Details:
📍 Location: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg
🕤 Time: 9:30 p.m. ET Wednesday
📺 Watch: CBC, TVAS, SN, ESPN, FDSNMW
Buckle up — this series could be heading the distance!
