WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor had a goal and two assists and the Winnipeg Jets overcame the loss of star center Mark Scheifele to beat the St. Louis Blues 5-3 on Wednesday night and take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series.
The Jets lost Scheifele after he was crushed into the boards by Brayden Schenn early in the opening period.
Vladislav Namestnikov, who replaced Scheifele on the top line, had a goal and an assist.
“When things don’t go your way, we lost (Scheifele), people have to step up. So I think as a team we stepped up today and got the win,” Namestnikov said.
Jets head coach Scott Arniel had no postgame updates on Scheifele and couldn’t say if he would make the trip to St. Louis for Game 6 on Friday.
Nino Niederreiter also had a goal and assist. Dylan DeMelo and Adam Lowry had goals while Mason Appleton had three assists.
Connor Hellebuyck made 16 saves for Winnipeg, which had top-line winger Gabriel Vilardi back in action after missing 15 games with an upper-body injury.
“Really proud of the effort,” said Lowry, who scored an empty-netter. “Sometimes when you lose your No. 1 center, you lose a key piece to your lineup there can be a bit of a sag, an emotional letdown. But you know, I thought the guys really rallied around it.”
Nathan Walker scored twice and rookie Jimmy Snuggerud also had a goal for the Blues. Jordan Binnington stopped 21 shots.
“They’re a good team, but we’ve played some good hockey at home for a couple of months now, so we’re comfortable there and fans (are) behind us,” Schenn said.
After being outscored 12-3 in two losses in St. Louis, the Jets jumped to a 1-0 lead 1:23 into the first period.
Scheifele sent the puck from behind the net out to Connor, who snapped it past Binnington.
The Blues responded when Walker stayed in front of Hellebuyck and tipped in a point shot from Colton Parayko at 3:42.
St. Louis defenseman Cam Fowler also picked up an assist, extending his point streak to five games with one goal and eight assists.
Winnipeg got the game’s first power play after Schenn crushed Scheifele. He was called for interference and then roughing after Jets forward Brandon Tanev defended his teammate.
Twenty-seven seconds after Schenn’s extra penalty expired, Niederreiter tipped in Dylan Samberg’s shot at 8:39.
Both teams took four penalties, and had 17 hits each.
After the Jets only got one shot on goal in their second power play, Snuggerud scored his second goal of the playoffs with a low shot that went between Hellebuyck’s left pad and the post at 6:06.
DeMelo scored Winnipeg’s first second-period goal of the series when his point shot went off the back of Parayko and into the net at 11:05.
Connor sent a backhand pass across the front of the net to a rushing Namestnikov, who made it 4-2 with 1:09 remaining in the second.
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