Jets Complete Epic Comeback, Eliminate Blues

The St. Louis Blues gave the Winnipeg Jets all they could handle, but the Presidents' Trophy winners are moving on to the second round. The Jets eliminated their Central Division rivals with a 4-3 double overtime Game 7 victory. They now advance to face the Dallas Stars in the second round. 

The comeback the Jets orchestrated will go down as one of the greatest in NHL history. The team trailed 3-1 entering the third period, but chipped away at the two-goal lead until the very last second, literally. With 1.6 seconds remaining in the third period, forward Cole Perfetti scored his second goal of the game to tie things at 3-3 and force overtime. 

The Jets concluded the comeback in the second OT period. A point shot from defenseman Neal Pionk had eyes of its own, ultimately redirecting off captain Adam Lowry for the game-winner with just a few minutes remaining.

The Jets managed to win the series without top center Mark Scheifele. The superstar forward has been out since Game 5 and could not return in Game 7. They also did so without top defenseman Josh Morrissey, who left after two minutes of ice time in the first period.

The Jets escape the first round without their star goalie playing up to his usual standard. Last year's Vezina Trophy winner and this year's frontrunner, Connor Hellebuyck, struggled with inconsistencies throughout the opening round. He was pulled thrice during the series, but stuck it out and recorded 26 saves on 29 shots on goal to help the Jets to victory in Game 7. Going against a dangerous Stars team, the Jets need Hellebuyck to lock in and return to his elite form.

With the Blues now in the rearview mirror, the Jets now meet the Stars in Round Two. The Stars are awaiting the returns of top players Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen, but in the meantime, Mikko Rantanen is carrying them to the Stanley Cup. The Jets hope their first-round test prepared them enough to take down another Cup contender.