Blues Dominating Special Teams Battle

The St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets entering Game 5 of their first-round series tied at 2-2 is one of the biggest surprises to begin the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Jets were expected to cruise past a young Blues squad, which entered the postseason as the second Wild Card in the Western Conference.

The Blues have not only tied the series but also taken control against the Jets entering Game 5. A central part of St. Louis gaining momentum is their special teams success. The Blues have been the superior power play and penalty killing unit through four games, and that trend could lead them to a shocking series win.

The Blues' power play is crushing the Jets. They've converted on 6 of 18 opportunities, giving them a success rate of 33.3%. They bring the fifth-best power-play group into Game 5 of the series.

Leading the way are forwards Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, who each have three power-play points in the series. The first unit's puck movement has created chaos for the Jets' penalty killing unit, and it's helping the Blues cash in on the man advantage.

When the Blues surrender opportunities to the Jets, they can shut them down. The Jets have converted on just two of their 12 power-play chances, giving the Blues a penalty killing success rate of just over 83%. That ranks fourth among all postseason teams so far.

The Blues' offensive performance has the Jets on the ropes. The Jets were the best defensive team in the regular season, allowing an average of 2.32 goals per game. That was primarily due to the superheroic play of goalie Connor Hellebuyck, but the postseason has been a completely different story. Hellebuyck now has a measly goals-against average above 4.00 after the Blues scored goals in just four games.

If the Jets want to shift the momentum series once again, balancing the special teams battle is key. The Blues are advantageous and determined. It's a combination that's getting the better of Winnipeg, and if it continues, it will lead to the Jets' elimination.