Blues even series with 5-1 win in Game 4 as Jets pull Hellebuyck again

Tom Timmermann, St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Apr 27, 2025

Published in Hockey

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ST. LOUIS — The Blues-Jets series may be even, but the tide seems to have shifted strongly in the Blues’ favor.

The Blues scored three times in second period, twice in the final three minutes, to beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-1 in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon at Enterprise Center. For the second game in a row, Winnipeg pulled goalie Connor Hellebuyck, the likely winner of the Vezina Trophy this season, when the game got out of control in the third period. With a 7-2 win in Game 3, the Blues outscored Winnipeg 12-3 in the two games in St. Louis.

The Blues still have to find a way to win in Winnipeg if they’re to take the series. Game 5 is Wednesday in Manitoba, with Game 6, now necessary, set for Friday back in St. Louis.

The Blues got goals from Jake Neighbours, Tyler Tucker, Brayden Schenn, Justin Faulk and Robert Thomas. Neighbours also had two assists for a three-point game, and Colton Parayko had two assists.

Two of the Blues’ three goals in the second came from shots from the blue line by defensemen, first by Tucker and then by Faulk. Faulk’s goal with 1:06 to go in the period stretched the lead to 4-1 and marked a drastic shift in the flow of the game.

Hellebuyck’s postseason struggles continued. He was lifted after Thomas scored 2:01 into the third period to make it 5-1, with Eric Comrie getting ice time for the second game in a row.

The only downside to the game for the Blues was Tucker needing help off the ice after falling awkwardly on his right leg after a hit from Brandon Tanev in the third period. Tucker stayed face down on the ice for a while after his fall and was putting no pressure on his right leg as he left.

Three for two

Tucker gave the Blues the lead midway through the second, taking a pass from Nick Leddy just inside the blue line and beating Hellebuyck through traffic for his first playoff goal. Getting an assist on the play was Alexandre Texier, who stayed in the lineup despite coach Jim Montgomery’s best efforts to make it seem that Mathieu Joseph was going back in.

The lead stayed 2-1 until the final three minutes, when the Blues broke the game open. First was a goal from Schenn after Parayko tossed a puck in front of the net. Hellebuyck got the shaft of his stick down to block the puck, but Schenn got his stuck on the puck too and shot it over Hellebuyck’s stick and in to make it 3-1 with 2:37 to go in the second.

Taking a two-goal lead into the third would have been fine for the Blues, but they went one better, with Faulk one-timing a pass from Neighbours.

A late goal to tie

Neighbours deflected in a shot by Parayko with 22.7 seconds left in the first period to get the Blues even at the first intermission. Neighbours' stick was close to the top of the net but not high enough to negate the goal. It was the first career playoff goal for Neighbours.

It was also atonement for his role in the goal that put Winnipeg ahead. Starting about the five-minute mark, Winnipeg took control of the game, and two power-plays for the Jets, first on a roughing penalty on Pavel Buchnevich and the second on a tripping call on Tucker, only increased the pressure, even though the Blues killed both penalties.

Even after the Tucker penalty was over, the Jets were buzzing about the Blues zone. Neighbours had a chance to clear a puck but couldn’t, then Parayko had the puck at his feet but couldn’t control it. Finally, Kyle Connor got his third goal of the series, banking in the shot off Parayko during a chaotic net-front stretch.

The Blues were outshot 13-5 in the period.

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