It got so bad for Winnipeg Jets, they pulled NHL's best goalie; 3 least impressive players from 7-2 onslaught by St. Louis Blues

The Winnipeg Jets suffered a crushing 7-2 defeat against the St. Louis Blues in Game 3 of their Western Conference series on Wednesday.

The Blues, hosting their first playoff game series since 2022, overwhelmed the Jets at home. In the opening two games of the series, the Jets overcame a sluggish start to secure wins at home.

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However, in Game 3, an early deficit proved too much to overcome, resulting in a 7-2 loss that narrowed their series lead to 2-1.

3 least impressive players from the Winnipeg Jets' 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues

#1. Neal Pionk

Pionk had a tough outing playing alongside Josh Morrissey. His weak backhand clearance attempt was intercepted, directly leading to Pavel Buchnevich's opening goal. Later in the period, a misplay in the neutral zone contributed to Cam Fowler's goal, which extended the Blues' lead to 3-0.

#2. Luke Schenn

Schenn also struggled on the night. His tripping penalty in the first period resulted in a power-play goal for the Blues, with Bouchnevich capitalizing to make it 2-0 for the hosts. In the third period, Schenn was outmaneuvered by Radek Faska, who set up the Blues' sixth goal, further exposing their defensive woes.

#3. Connor Hellebuyck

Even Connor Hellebuyck, the best goaltender in the regular season, had an off night. After the Blues dumped the puck into the Winnipeg Jets' zone, Hellebuyck skated behind the net to play it.

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However, his attempted clearance was disrupted by a forechecking Robert Thomas, who stole the puck and set up Pavel Buchnevich. The Blues forward capitalized on the open net, completing his hat trick and extending the visitors' lead to 4-1 in the third period.

He blocked 19 shots on 25 attempts, posting a .760 save percentage, and was pulled in the third period.

The Winnipeg Jets will aim to bounce back when Game 4 returns to Enterprise Center on Saturday. The puck drop is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.

Also Read: Watch: Jets-Blues rack up 46 penalty minutes in a heated third period, end 7-2 onslaught with two all-out scrums

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta