It’s that time of year again, and for the second year in a row the Jets have qualified for the playoffs. As the snow melts outside Bell MTS Centre, the whiteout roars to life inside.
Three months ago, if you were to tell anyone that the Jets and Blues would meet in the first round, they wouldn’t have given it a second thought. The Blues, who began the season horribly, was tied for dead last in the NHL when the calendars turned to January 1, 2019.
But on the backs of a historic goaltending debut season from 25-year-old Jordan Binnington, and a great start for centre Ryan O’Reilly, who the club acquired via trade in the offseason, the Blues did a complete 180-degree turn, nearly taking the Central Division but ultimately settling for third.
Since January 1, the Blues have been the hottest team in hockey, going 30–10–5. During that stretch, Binnington has been the hottest goalie, going 24–5–1 with a 93.0 save percentage and 1.83 goals-against average. That’s the best record of any goalie who has started at least 25 games this season.
Binnington has quickly proven that he’s an NHL-calibre starter, and potentially he’s even more than that. In this short time, he’s established a solid resume with elite numbers.
Although he has yet to face the Jets in his career.
The Jets went 3–1–0 against the Blues this season, with the final matchup taking place on December 7, a 1–0 win for the Blues, who were backed at the time by Jake Allen. It’s safe to say that a lot has changed between now and then, making for one of the more intriguing matchups of the postseason.
Statistically, many in the hockey community believe the Blues could challenge the Jets at five-on-five, an area where the Jets have struggled lately. Much of these struggles were thanks to the loss of their two-top defensemen, Dustin Byfuglien and Josh Morrissey. Byfuglien suited up for just 42 games this year, and Morrissey will be suiting up for the first time now in over six weeks.
Byfuglien and Morrissey are the Jets’ most efficient defensemen at five-on-five, and they’re also the only defensemen with a Corsi percentage (shot attempts for divided by shot attempts total) over 50 percent, with Big Buff leading the way at 53.2 percent.
“Over the course of the year it ramps up and ramps up,” Morrissey told the press on Monday. “And come night one of the playoffs, it’s going to be a whole other level. But you try and draw on the experiences you’ve had as a player.”
Morrissey will do everything he can to slow down the Blues, and so will goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who, if statistically are any indication, loves to play St Louis. In nine career games against the Blues, Hellebuyck has posted three shutouts, a 1.66 goals-against average, and a .943 save percentage.
It will be a fascinating series between two teams entering the postseason with completely different trajectories.
Entering the season, the Jets were a Stanley Cup favourite, and it would come as a surprise to many if the Jets fell out in the first round. That said, given their struggles closing out the season, and ultimately having their hopes of a division title smothered, anything could happen. The Jets enter the playoffs a shell of their former selves, so the team will need to take advantage of home ice to gain some momentum before the series shifts to St Louis.