The first five games of the Winnipeg-St. Louis series have all shared a similar trend. The home team won. The Blues need that trend to continue Friday, May 2 — or else.
Game 6 of the Jets-Blues matchup awaits in St. Louis, with Winnipeg — the NHL’s best team in the regular season — bringing a 3-2 series lead into that matchup.
This is the lone NHL playoff game on Friday’s schedule, so it will take place in prime time. Game time is 8 p.m. EDT and you can watch it on TNT/TruTV/Max or live stream it on fubo TV (FREE trial), DirecTV Stream (FREE trial and discount) or Sling TV (discount).
The Blues rolled to wins on their home ice in Games 3 and 4, taking those games by scores of 7-2 and 5-1 to extend a run of invincibility there that has lasted for more than two months.
“It’s a tough building to play in,” Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov told The Associated Press. “But I know we can get the win there.”
If they do, they will be doing so without star Mark Scheifele, the team’s second-leading scorer and leader in game-winning goals this season. Scheifele was injured in Game 5, enough so that he didn’t even bother flying with Winnipeg to St. Louis on Thursday for Game 6.
The teams had different opinions about when Scheifele got hurt, but the bottom line is the Jets will be missing a big part of their team for a potential closeout game.
“Certainly, not having him is going to be huge,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said Thursday. “But at the end of the day, last night, our three centermen had to step up and play big minutes and did a great job. … So proud of the group, how everybody stepped up. It’s kind of what our team has done all year. Guys go down, other guys step in.”
Winnipeg was the most recent visiting team to win in St. Louis — but that was more than two months ago.
The Blues have put together the longest home winning streak in the NHL this season, a 14-game run that started on Feb. 23 and hasn’t stopped. St. Louis has outscored opponents 69-25 in that span at home, winning by an average of 3.14 goals per game.
“We’ve played some good hockey at home for a couple of months now,” St. Louis’ Brayden Schenn said. “We’re comfortable there.”
Far more comfortable than they looked Wednesday night in Winnipeg.
Kyle Connor had a goal and two assists and overcame the loss of Scheifele to win 5-3 and take control of the series.
HOW TO WATCH
WHO: Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues, game 6 of their NHL Western Conference best-of-seven playoff series; Jets lead 3-2WHEN: 8 p.m. EDT, Friday, May 2WHERE: Enterprise Center, in St. Louis, MissouriTV: TNT/TruTV/MaxLIVESTREAM: fubo TV (FREE trial), DirecTV Stream (FREE trial and discount) or Sling TV (discount)
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Vladislav Namestnikov, who replaced Scheifele on the top line, had a goal and an assist.
Nino Niederreiter also had a goal and an assist. Dylan DeMelo and Adam Lowry had goals while Mason Appleton had three assists.
Connor Hellebuyck made 16 saves for Winnipeg, which had top-line winger Gabriel Vilardi back in action after missing 15 games with an upper-body injury.
Winnipeg Jets’ Dylan DeMelo (2), Vladislav Namestnikov (7), Gabriel Vilardi (13) and Kyle Connor (81) celebrate DeMelo’s goal against the St. Louis Blues during second period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)AP
Nathan Walker scored twice and rookie Jimmy Snuggerud also had a goal for the Blues. Jordan Binnington stopped 21 shots.
“They’re a good team, but we’ve played some good hockey at home for a couple of months now, so we’re comfortable there and fans [are] behind us,” Schenn said.
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