St. Louis controlled much of the first period, jumping shots to a 9-1 lead. At one point the Blues peppered Connor Hellebuyck with four to five shots in the same shift, turning the series into a shooting gallery, but Winnipeg’s MVP held on to keep the game scoreless.
The Blues led 11-6 in shots after 20 minutes.
St. Louis finally broke the deadlock at the 1:17 mark of the second period. Hellebuyck passed the puck behind the net to Dylan DeMelo in the corner, where Pavel Buchnevich stepped it off. Robert Thomas grabbed the loose puck and fed Justin Faulk, who fired a shot past Hellebuyck for his eighth goal of the season. Thomas recorded the only assist, his 17th.
Top corner where Mom hides the Christmas cookies. #stlblues
Late in the third, as the Jets pushed for the tying goal, DeMelo took a tripping penalty on Jake Neighbors, giving St. Louis a power play with 2:54 to go. Winnipeg ended the game, but with just 42 seconds left, Logan Stanley was called a penalty on Pius Suter, resulting in a 10-minute game foul. The Blues ran out the clock to secure the 1-0 victory.
The loss dropped Winnipeg to 15-16-2 on the season and 2-5-2 in December. Hellebuyck finished with 25 saves, while Neal Pionk led the Jets with four shots on goal.
#Jets #suppressed #Hofer #Blues