Keys to the Jets winning Game 6? Role players, a surprise return, and greasy goals

ST.

LOUIS The Winnipeg Jets can win their first playoff series since sweeping Edmonton in the 2021 bubble their first against a Central Division opponent since 2018 against Nashville.

They can eliminate the St.

Louis Blues for the first time in Winnipegs NHL history, avenging a 2019 playoff loss that devastated their old core and marked the last games of franchise icon Dustin Byfugliens career.

Advertisement They can also make up for the pain.

The pain of being walked out on by Paul Maurice, suddenly, in 2021, then missing the 2022 playoffs altogether.

The growing pains that came next: rebuilding a dressing room culture, a lack of pushback against Vegas in 2023, moving on from captain Blake Wheeler and PL Dubois, and then when Winnipeg finally seemed to have found a winning style of play last years five-game loss to Colorado.

A win in St.

Louis would turn all that pain into prologue the necessary context against which this years Jets showed their mettle and demonstrated their growth.

The Jets regular-season success since Scott Arniel and Rick Bowness were hired is admirable.

But playoff results, starting with a Round 1 win against the Blues, would redefine this era of Jets hockey.

One little problem: History isnt on Winnipegs side.

The Blues have won 14 straight games at home, for one, including two dominant wins earlier this series.

Mark Scheifele didnt travel to St.

Louis and wont be available, either.

Scheifele is Winnipegs franchise leader in playoff points and five points behind Dale Hawerchuk in Winnipeg history but was injured in Game 5.

He didnt travel to St.

Louis and its highly unlikely that hed be available for Game 7, if necessary.

Despite Vladislav Namestnikovs Game 5 heroics, the Jets have lost all four playoff games theyve played with Scheifele scratched.

Expanding the sample to include the 2020 qualification round adds one win and two losses against Calgary.

If Winnipeg loses Game 6 or worse the excuses are baked in.

If the Jets beat the Blues, those excuses transform: every piece of adversity turns into another reason Winnipegs success was all the more impressive.

So how do the Jets do it? Arniel is calling for Game 6 to be about his role players.

Advertisement This is going to be a meat-and-potato ...

work zone-to-zone, get out of our zone, get through that neutral zone and then make them spend some time in their end of the rink, Arniel told reporters in Winnipeg on Thursday.

Not having Nik [Ehlers], not having Scheif, kind of knocks out a couple of your top six players.

So this is straightforward, grind it out kind of work for, fight for every inch and get those greasy goals.

About Ehlers, though theres an outside chance he plays in Game 6.

Unlike Scheifele, Ehlers traveled to St.

Louis, and will participate in Winnipegs morning skate on Friday.

He may even do so wearing a regular jersey for the first time since April 12.

Its difficult to believe that Ehlers would be a gamebreaker if he does play and it may be more sensible to imagine a Game 7 or Round 2 return but hes making progress.

Ehlers injury has been the source of intrigue since getting hit in the foot by Nicolas Hagues slapshot in Vegas on April 3, sliding foot-first into the boards later that game, and also getting hit in the foot by a power play slot shot from Cole Perfetti.

Ehlers returned to the Jets lineup two games later only to back over linesman James Tobias in Chicago, aggravating his previous injury.

Hed been seen in a walking boot prior to making his return to Jets practice.

Assuming Ehlers cant play in Game 6, one of David Gustafsson or Rasmus Kupari will rejoin Winnipegs lineup.

Vladislav Namestnikov will likely reprise his top line role between Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi, while Vilardi will continue to take key faceoffs after winning four of seven he took on Wednesday.

Morgan Barron could see himself promoted, while Adam Lowry, Nino Niederreiter, and Mason Appletons shutdown line will be counted on to chip in more offence after a push in Game 5.

Advertisement The Jets havent won in St.

Louis in regulation since Drew Bannister was the Blues head coach, but theyre proud of the homework they did during the extended break before Game 5.

Josh Morrissey told The Athletic that Winnipeg had done a strong review of its own defensive coverage after the Blues control of Game 3 and Game 4.

The reason weve been such a good defensive team is many factors but one of them is D-zone coverage, Morrissey said.

We end plays quickly.

We dont let teams out of corners.

We make it hard to find open ice.

Then, when there are battles, we win them, get the puck into our hands, and then break it out and go the other way.

It can be a frustrating game for teams to play against.

Morrissey didnt get into specifics but praised Jets coaches for the video package they put together, highlighting moments the Jets defensive coverage was working as it needed to be and showing the details that went awry at other times.

Jets captain Adam Lowry echoed that praise after Winnipegs win.

Arnie did a really good job of going through the breakdowns ...

When you review those things, you kind of see a lot of it is self-inflicted, Lowry said after Game 5.

Not that its an easy fix, but theres a structure we play with, an expectation of where guys are supposed to be and when we get back to that, were a real tough team to get to the middle of the ice, were real tough to score off in zone plays and we dont give up a whole lot in transition.

Without Scheifele in the lineup, leaders like Morrissey and Lowry will have to elevate their game.

For Morrissey, whos received a steady barrage of hits throughout the series, it means turning defensive zone success into time spent on the attack.

He hasnt looked as dynamic in recent games as he has for so much of the season.

For Lowry, it means maintaining discipline and avoiding penalties like the one he took against Tyler Tucker in Game 4.

And if Winnipeg simply cannot control the flow of play in a tough road building, thats where Connor Hellebuyck Hart Trophy finalist needs to shut the door.

Advertisement The Jets have already defeated some of their own history by winning Game 5.

They hadnt won a game after losing one in the playoffs since 2019 against these same Blues.

Even as the injuries pile up, Winnipegs depth players stepped up to deliver a massive win.

Arniel said closing out the Blues will take exactly that same kind of energy.

Im so proud of the group, how everybody stepped up.

Thats kind of what our team has done all year, that when guys go down other guys step in.

And its going to be just as large tomorrow.

We did the job last night, now weve got to turn around and do it again.

(Photo of Nikolaj Ehlers: Terrence Lee / Imagn Images).

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