It all comes down to this: one final showdown to wrap up the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Winnipeg Jets – who dominated the regular season – are hoping home ice advantage will help them avoid a massive upset against the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 tonight. The winner moves on to face the Dallas Stars in round two.
Home teams have completely owned this series so far, winning all six games. That’s great news for Winnipeg fans.
The numbers tell the story: The Blues have lit up the scoreboard with 17 goals in their home games but struggled in Winnipeg. Meanwhile, the Jets have been Jekyll and Hyde – scoring 12 goals at home but managing just five on the road.
Connor Hellebuyck has been the backbone of the Jets’ success. The likely NHL MVP has been nearly unbeatable at home, though he had a rough time in St. Louis where he gave up 16 goals.
The Jets are trying to do something pretty special here. No team has won both the Presidents’ Trophy (best regular season record) and the Stanley Cup in the same year since the 2012-13 Blackhawks. But there’s pressure too – they could become the third Presidents’ Trophy winner since 2019 to crash out in round one.
Some individual players have really stepped up. The Blues’ Cam Fowler leads everyone with 10 points this series. Kyle Connor isn’t far behind, putting up nine points (4 goals, 5 assists) for the Jets.
The oddsmakers like Winnipeg’s chances. The Jets are -177 favorites, while St. Louis comes in as +147 underdogs. The over/under is set at 5 goals.
Want to get in on the action? First-time FanDuel users can bet just $5 and get $200 in bonus bets if they win. Those bonus bets expire in a week, and you only keep the winnings, not the stake, from bets made with bonus funds.
Game time is 7 p.m. ET on TBS and MAX. Who’s ready for some Game 7 hockey?
