The Winnipeg Jets gave their fans a night to remember with a dramatic late-game comeback and a double-overtime win to knock out the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the NHL playoffs. This nail-biting victory has now set up a second-round face-off against the Dallas Stars.
Jets Pull Off a Comeback for the Ages
The game between the Jets and the Blues looked all but over with just two minutes left in the third period. Winnipeg was trailing 3-1 and on the verge of elimination. But just when fans started losing hope, the Jets turned the game around in stunning fashion.
Vladislav Namestnikov sparked life back into the team with a lucky deflection goal. His shot from the right side bounced off a Blues defender and fooled St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington, cutting the lead to one. With the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, Winnipeg poured on the pressure.
Last-Second Goal Forces Overtime
With the clock ticking down, Cole Perfetti became the hero of the night. With just 1.6 seconds left, he deflected a shot from Kyle Connor into the net to tie the game 3-3. This goal was the latest game-tying goal in NHL playoff history. It brought the entire Canada Life Centre crowd to its feet, creating a deafening roar.
Perfetti, who had already scored earlier in the game during a power play, now has three goals and five points in the series, proving himself as one of the Jets’ top playoff performers.
Game Goes Into Double Overtime
With the scores level, the game went into overtime — for the first time in this series. Both teams battled hard in the extra period, but it wasn’t until the second overtime that the winning moment came.
Captain Adam Lowry sealed the deal for the Jets with his third goal of the series. A point shot was redirected perfectly by Lowry, beating Binnington and completing one of the most memorable comebacks in recent NHL playoff history. With this win, the Jets took the series 4-3.
Jets Overcome Injuries and Fatigue
What makes this win even more impressive is that the Jets were short-handed. Star defenceman Josh Morrissey left early in the first period due to injury. The team was already missing key forward Mark Scheifele. Despite this, the Jets pushed through, relying heavily on Neal Pionk, who played an incredible 46 minutes and 15 seconds — the most of any player in the game. Pionk also assisted on the game-winning goal.
Next Up: Jets vs Stars
This huge win comes just one day after another dramatic Game 7 finish in the Western Conference. The Dallas Stars defeated the Colorado Avalanche thanks to a third-period hat trick by Mikko Rantanen, a former Avalanche star.
Now, the Jets will face the Stars in the second round. Game 1 is set for Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET. With both teams coming off emotional wins, this next series promises to be just as exciting.
The Winnipeg Jets showed true grit and heart in their comeback win over the St. Louis Blues. Down by two goals with just minutes left, they found a way to survive and win in double overtime. Now, they move forward in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with momentum and belief. Fans will be watching closely as they take on the Dallas Stars in what should be another thrilling series.
