Top storylines heading into 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs

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Hellebuyck's time

If ever there was a year for the Winnipeg Jets and goalie Connor Hellebuyck to buck a losing trend in the playoffs this is it.

The Jets were the best team in the regular season from start to finish, winning the Presidents' Trophy with 116 points. Hellebuyck was the best goalie in the League from start to finish, leading all goalies who played at least 40 games with 47 wins, a 2.00 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and eight shutouts.

But all that matters now to Hellebuyck and the Jets is what happens in the playoffs. Game 1 against the St. Louis Blues is at Canada Life Centre on Saturday (6 p.m. ET; TNT, truTV, MAX, SN, CBC, TVAS, FDSNMW).

Hellebuyck has to prove that he can be more than a regular-season goalie. The Jets have been knocked out in the first round in five games each of the past two seasons. They got into the second round in 2022, but were swept by the Edmonton Oilers.

He helped the Jets get to the Western Conference Final in 2018, but since then has gone 9-19 with a 3.13 GAA and .905 save percentage in 28 playoff games.

Home cooking in St. Louis

The Blues will enter Game 3 against the Jets at Enterprise Center on Thursday riding a 12-game home winning streak since Feb. 23.

Their success on home ice is largely the reason the Blues came back from seven points out of a playoff spot after a 4-3 shootout loss to the Jets at home on Feb. 22 to getting in as the second wild card from the Western Conference.

In fairness, the Blues also went 7-4-2 on the road in that stretch, but their strength at home is what got them into the playoffs. They outscored the opposition 57-22 in the 12-game winning streak, going 35.3 percent on the power play and 84.6 percent on the penalty kill.

If they can win at least one game in Winnipeg at the start of the series they'll be right where they want to be going home.

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