WINNIPEG - Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele go together like laces and hockey skates.
The Jets鈥 top-line duo each had a goal and two assists to boost Winnipeg to a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues in Saturdaysa国际传媒 Game 1 opening-round playoff match.
Scheifele threaded a pass to set up Connorsa国际传媒 one-timer with 1:36 remaining in the third period, a goal that snapped a 3-3 tie. Captain Adam Lowry added an empty-netter with 53 seconds left to seal the victory.
Scheifele become the Jets/Thrashers鈥 all-time franchise leader in playoff points with 41.
鈥淭o do it in front of the fans tonight was pretty special,鈥 said the Kitchener, Ont., centre. 鈥淭hat was a fun game to be a part of, just had a fun time.鈥
Connor was asked if he had an idea Scheifele would send him a pass because of their years of knowing what each other might do.
鈥淵eah, I鈥檇 like to think so,鈥 he said with a laugh.
Scheifele said he has confidence Connor might score any time he feeds him the puck.
鈥淎lI want to do is put the puck in his hands and he does some fantastic things,鈥 Scheifele said. 鈥淟ike I said before, I鈥檓 lucky to play with him.鈥
Lowry said the pair are 鈥渄ynamic together.鈥
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 crowd each other in the (offensive) zone, but they always seem to have that tight support whenever they need an out,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t was great to see them rewarded. I thought they had a heck of a Game 1.鈥
Game 2 in the best-of-seven Western Conference series goes Monday at Canada Life Centre, which featured a loud "whiteout" full house of 15,225 fans.
Teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-seven series own an all-time series record of 525-247 (. 680), according to NHL stats.
Both Connor and Scheifele finished the regular season with career-highs in points, and each played 82 games.
Connor had 97 points, including 41 goals, while Scheifele recorded 39 goals and 87 points.
Scheifele, 32, surpassed former captain Blake Wheelersa国际传媒 franchise mark of 39 playoff points.
鈥淓very year, (Scheifele) seems to work on some new skills, come back an even better player than he was before,鈥 Lowry said when asked about the new franchise-leadersa国际传媒 value to the team.
鈥淚tsa国际传媒 difficult to kind of understand that someone in their 30s is continuing to get better, they鈥檙e not kind of plateauing. But he puts in the work, hesa国际传媒 rewarded for it. I thought tonight was a perfect example of our stars being our stars.鈥
Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Alex Iafallo also scored for the Jets, who won their regular-season series against the Blues 3-1. Josh Morrissey added a pair of helpers.
Connor Hellebuyck made 14 saves for Winnipeg, which claimed the Presidents鈥 Trophy for the NHLsa国际传媒 best regular-season record (56-22-4).
鈥淭hey are just two elite players who see the game so well,鈥 Hellebuyck said of Connor and Scheifele.
鈥淭here are guys with a ton of skill and then there are guys who are smart. They kind of have both. And when you put them together, they use both. Thatsa国际传媒 what makes them so elite together."
Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou each scored on the power play for St. Louis. Oskar Sundqvist added one at even strength and Justin Faulk had two assists.
Jordan Binnington stopped 21 shots for the Blues, which grabbed the Western Conference's final wild-card spot with a final-game victory (44-30-8).
Even St. Louis head coach Jim Montgomery was asked about what makes Scheifele and Connor a force to be reckoned with.
鈥淪kill and talent,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hey make plays, poised plays. I mean that game-winning goal is a high-end play.鈥
Kyrousa国际传媒 goal at 1:13 of the second made it 3-2, but top-line winger Iafallo got a pass from Scheifele behind the net and tied it at 9:18 of the third to spark the comeback.
鈥淭hatsa国际传媒 playoff hockey,鈥 Hellebuyck said. 鈥淵ou have to play right to the last minute and right to the last second. It was fun.
鈥淭he guys were buzzing out there. I didn鈥檛 get a whole lot of action in the third, but it was really fun to watch and be a part of. There will be a lot more.鈥
The Jets outshot the visitors 9-2 in the third.
鈥淵ou have to control your emotions,鈥 Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. 鈥淚tsa国际传媒 the playoffs and special teams are huge. 鈥 We鈥檒l be fine for (the) next game. Obviously, Game 1 a lot of emotion with the buildup.鈥
The Jets were 1-for-4 on the power play and the Blues 2-for-3.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2025.
