The Jets and Blues likely woke up Monday with aching muscles and bruised bodies after an opening-round NHL playoff series filled with punishing hits.
Winnipeg’s players had their pains eased, though, by an epic 4-3 double-overtime victory Sunday night in Game 7 after captain Adam Lowry scored at 16:10.
The Jets host the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference second round, with the first game Wednesday and the second on Friday. It’s the first time the clubs will meet in the post-season.
“They’re a great team, we’re a good team. I can’t wait for that battle,” Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers said of the Stars after Sunday’s victory.
There’s no doubt the Jets were battle-tested against the Blues, and earned a day off Monday to rest and recover.
Winnipeg out-hit St. Louis 73-49 in the league’s third-longest Game 7 that ran 96 minutes, 10 seconds.
“I was pretty gassed, I’m not going to lie,” Ehlers told reporters. “I’m standing here and my legs are a little shaky.”
The series finished with a current playoff-high 623 combined hits. The Jets dished out 322 of them.
It took its toll.
Fans will be waiting for updates about injured stars Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey when the team returns to practice Tuesday.
Morrissey left Sunday’s game about eight minutes into the first period after the defenceman absorbed some heavy checks. Scheifele missed his second consecutive game with an upper-body injury the centre suffered in Game 5.
Jets head coach Scott Arniel, in his first year after two seasons as associate coach, said the players’ resolve in Game 7 was “absolutely amazing.”
“I’ve seen a lot of hockey games, been in a lot of hockey games. To be a part of that was one of the most exciting games I’ve been a part of,” said Arniel, a former original Jets forward.
“Man, we were extremely nervous to start the game. Got down quickly, but just our resolve, just our ability to stay in it pretty much that’s all I kept preaching. Just hang in there, just hang in there.”
St. Louis mounted a 2-0 lead after Jordan Kyrou scored on his team’s first shot of the game, followed by Mathieu Joseph’s goal on the fourth shot at 7:16.
Jets forward Cole Perfetti redirected his first of two goals past Jordan Binnington at 11:41 of the second period on the power play to make it 2-1. Radek Faksa then scored for the visitors with 35 seconds remaining in frame.
Winnipeg’s determination led to a pair of goals after goalie Connor Hellebuyck was pulled for the extra attacker with just over three minutes left in the third.
Vladislav Namestnikov’s shot went off Ryan Suter’s skate with 1:36 remaining. Perfetti made it 3-3 with another redirection and three seconds left in regulation — the latest tying goal in a Game 7 in league history.
The Jets outshot the Blues 11-4 in the first overtime period and continued their dominance.
It paid off when defenceman Neal Pionk fired the puck from the point and it deflected off Lowry into the net — making him the second captain in league history to score an overtime goal in a Game 7.
“I think anyone watching that one, it’ll be in the memory bank for a long time,” Arniel said of the victory.
Now the Jets turn their focus to the Stars, who ended their first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche last Saturday with a 4-2 victory in Game 7.
The Jets earned home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs after finishing first in the league with a Presidents’ Trophy-winning 116 regular-season points.
Dallas was second in the Central Division and third in the conference with 106 points. Winnipeg won three of four regular-season meetings with the Stars.
The Jets are heading to the second round for the first time since 2020-21 — and after being knocked out of the opening round the past two seasons.
“It’s nice to kind of have those questions put to rest, [about] can this team get out of the first round,” Lowry said.
“I’m just happy that the good guys were able to prevail and we can move on and I’m really looking forward to the second round. It’s going to be a heck of a series with the Stars.”
