Jets’ unlikely heroes step up to help beat Blues in Game 5: Takeaways

Sports

add

On Wednesday night, Vladislav Namestnikov was the unlikeliest hero for Winnipeg, stepping up in Mark Scheifele’s absence to propel the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues and a 3-2 series lead.

Here was a player who had zero points in the series – a player not viewed as a “real” second-line centre. The Jets had picked him up for a fourth-round pick in 2023, to no fanfare at all, and then replaced him at No. 2C with Sean Monahan last season, before trying to do it all over again this year.

Winnipeg worked hard to upgrade at the trade deadline, ultimately falling short in its quest to acquire Brock Nelson.

The Jets didn’t land their coveted No. 2 centre – and yet, there was Namestnikov, playing on Winnipeg’s top line after Scheifele left the game, scoring a goal and an assist to give the Jets a 4-2 lead and a Game 5 win.

Now the Blues are on the brink of elimination, needing to win at home on Friday to keep their season alive.

Namestnikov, Winnipeg’s other depth step up big

Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele were the only Jets producing offence through four games, casting doubt on the impact of Winnipeg’s depth players. Then Scheifele got hurt, Vladislav Namestnikov stepped up, and Winnipeg’s depth exploded to win Game 5.

Namestnikov had already made a big play leading the rush in the buildup to Nino Niederreiter’s 2-1 goal – and Mason Appleton had made a brilliant kick play to help get Connor on the board early – when Scheifele was hurt. That’s when Namestnikov, who had zero points through four games, was catapulted to the role of No. 1 centre.

He helped Winnipeg take over the game. First, it was a clean puck retrieval after Gabriel Vilardi was eliminated from a rush that helped Connor get the puck to the point for Dylan DeMelo’s goal. Then, with 1:09 left in the second period, Namestnikov joined a rush, gave Connor an option, and finished off Connor’s feed to put the Jets ahead 4-2.

He wasn’t the only middle-six player to have a big impact on the game.

Appleton was down and out behind the Blues’ net after taking a stick from Robert Thomas on his way into the zone. Still holding his mouth, perhaps concerned he was bleeding, Appleton got himself together just in time to kick the puck to Scheifele, who centred it: Connor scored the 1-0 goal with clinical finish. Appleton also got the puck to the point in the buildup to Niederreiter’s goal while taking a heavy hit from Ryan Suter. Niederreiter’s deflection was his first goal of the series; he and Appleton combined to get Adam Lowry the empty net goal that capped off the game.

Scott Arniel had said he wanted more from his “meat and potatoes” guys. Winnipeg got it – and went back for seconds.

Mark Scheifele’s night ends early

The physicality in Game 5 was a continuation of what has been the most physical series in the NHL playoffs.

Scheifele took a pounding from the Blues in the first period, receiving heavy hits from Brayden Schenn, Justin Faulk, and Radek Faksa, but continued to play a regular shift until the intermission.

Namestnikov took his spot between Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi and on the top power play unit to start the second period. Scheifele’s loss is a massive blow to the Jets, who had only just gotten Vilardi back for Game 5 and are still without Nikolaj Ehlers.

Scheifele’s early exit was a concern and his timeline to return to the Jets lineup is unknown.

The Jets’ playoff record without Scheifele is not sterling, as one might imagine. They won one game and lost two against Calgary in the 2020 qualification round, then lost all three games without him when he was suspended against Montreal in 2021.

The Jets’ win was remarkable in his absence.

Hellebuyck bends, doesn’t break

Winnipeg’s goaltender struggled in St. Louis but you wouldn’t know it from the way fans at Canada Life Centre cheered when his name was announced in the starting lineup. They chanted “MVP!” between those cheers and the land acknowledgment, just as they had done during Game 1 and Game 2. The combination of netfront traffic and a red light behind Connor Hellebuyck would have been all too familiar, but even Walker’s deflection didn’t let the air all of the way out of the building.

But Hellebuyck flat out missed on Jimmy Snuggerud’s second period goal, allowing the Blues to tie the game with Scheifele out, the Jets reeling, and Winnipeg’s power play failing to score earlier in the frame.

That’s a save Winnipeg needs from its No. 1 goalie in any circumstance, let alone a game so big.

It’s also what makes his desperate, first period paddle save on Oskar Sundqvist all the more stunning. The Blues had broken into Winnipeg’s zone on a shorthanded rush, the Jets were slow to get back, Walker made a perfect pass, and there was Hellebuyck reaching across with a desperate paddle save.

He stopped a sure goal, keeping the game tied long enough for Niederreiter to put the Jets ahead. It wasn’t all roses – Snuggerud’s goal came afterward, in the second period – but Hellebuyck made an important, spectacular save.

Those “MVP!” chants returned in the third period when Hellebuyck stopped Jordan Kyrou and Jake Neighbours on back-to-back slot shots.

Blues had been winning 2nd period – until Game 5

Through the first four games of the series, the Blues had owned the second period in this series, outscoring the Jets 4-0.

But in the second period of Game 5, Winnipeg outshot the Blues 14-3 and got their first two goals of the series in the middle period.

The Blues got the first goal of the period from rookie Jimmy Snuggerud, tying the score 2-2. But Demelo and Namestnikov answered with back-to-back goals, part of a period in which the Jets directed 33 shots at the net compared to just seven for the Blues.

Blues lose Broberg briefly

The Blues lost defenseman Tyler Tucker to a lower-body injury in Game 4 and replaced him with veteran Ryan Suter in Game 5.

Then late in the second period of Game 5, Blues defenseman Philip Broberg left the game after blocking a shot by Dylan Samberg. Broberg was slow getting to the bench and didn’t play his final shift. Nick Leddy took his spot alongside Justin Faulk and those two on the ice when Namestnikov scored for a 4-2 lead.

Broberg returned for the start of the third period.

NHL’s first Australian scores twice

In 2017, as a member of the Washington Capitals, Nathan Walker became the first Australian player to play in the NHL.

Walker is now a right winger with the Blues, and in his 10th playoff game in the league, he scored his first goal in the postseason.

At the time, the goal was an important one for the Blues. Connor put the Jets on the scoreboard just 1:23 into the game, and with the decibel level rising inside Canada Life Centre, Walker quieted the crowd just 1:19 later.

Blues defenseman Colton Parayko put a shot on net and Walker deflected it past Hellebuyck, tying up the score 1-1.

Walker scored his second goal of the game with less than a minute remaining in regulation.

(Photo of Vladislav Namestnikov: Terrence Lee / Imagn Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

Share on

email

Previous

trending_flat

Wrexham director Kaleen Allyn: ‘We could have invested in Liverpool but here, we can get our hands dirty’

Sports

Next

trending_flat

Dítě, které už děsí jako Messi. Zázrak z Barcelony okouzlil Ligu mistrů

Sports