The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is down to its final contest. Only one game remains before the second-round matchups are fully set. The Winnipeg Jets, who concluded the regular season with the best record in the league, are set to host the St. Louis Blues in a winner-take-all Game 7. The victor of this intense series will advance to face the Dallas Stars later in the week.
Game Details: St. Louis Blues vs. Winnipeg Jets
A notable trend throughout this series has been the dominance of the home team, which has claimed victory in all six previous games. Both the Blues and the Jets have demonstrated significantly better performance when playing on their home ice. St. Louis has netted 17 goals while at home, compared to fewer goals scored in Winnipeg. Similarly, the Jets` offense has been far more productive at home, scoring 12 times in their three home games versus just five goals in their road contests. Winnipeg`s goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck, a strong candidate for the league`s MVP award, has also shown a clear split in performance, allowing 16 goals when playing in St. Louis, compared to a much stronger showing at home.
Having finished the regular season with the Presidents` Trophy, the Winnipeg Jets are aiming to become the first team since the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks to win both the Presidents` Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season. However, they also face the risk of joining a short list: they could become just the third Presidents` Trophy winner since the 2018-19 season to be eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs.
On the individual performance front, Cam Fowler of St. Louis leads all skaters in the series with an impressive 10 points. For the Winnipeg Jets, Kyle Connor is their top point-getter, accumulating nine points through four goals and five assists so far in the series.
According to consensus odds, the Winnipeg Jets enter Game 7 as favorites with a money line of -177. The visiting St. Louis Blues are listed as underdogs at +147. The projected total goals line for the game is set at 5.
