Blues get 4 goals in 2nd period, force Game 7 against Jets in Western Conference 1st Round

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues scored four times in 5:23 of the second period and chased Connor Hellebuyck for the third time in the series, avoiding elimination with a 5-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round at Enterprise Center on Friday.

Hellebuyck has been pulled in each of the three games played in St. Louis. He allowed five goals on 23 shots and was replaced by Eric Comrie to start the third period.

“Well, it’s just getting to our game early,” Blues defenseman Cam Fowler said. “I think when we’re on top of our game it’s a hard thing to defend. We try to create as much chaos as we can offensively. We’ve seen some pucks go in and I think it’s a credit to all of us, honestly, the time and the effort that we’ve put in in order to try and create chances for ourselves.

“We all know he’s a world-class goaltender and we have to make life as difficult on him as we can. That’s been something that we’ve tried to do and we’ve done a good job of it at home, but now we have to go on the road and try and recreate that again.”

Philip Broberg and Alexey Toropchenko each had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who are the second wild card from the West and have won 15 straight at home in the regular season and playoffs, dating to Feb. 23. Jordan Binnington made 21 saves.

“We utilized our speed and our physicality,” St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery said. “I thought we were able to be physical down low, we were able to skate with some speed through the neutral zone and we were really committed to getting to the netfront again. Those first couple of goals, they’re really good screen goals. That [Radek] Faksa line was dominant tonight.”

Cole Perfetti and Nino Niederreiter scored for the Jets, the top seed in the Western Conference and the Presidents' Trophy winners for the most points in the regular season. Comrie made four saves.

“Carbon copy of what happened here in Game 4,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. “Played really well, played real strong for 30, 33 minutes. Terrible line change, gave up a chance. Next time out, throw the puck to their goaltender right into his glove. Make another line change. We're racing back on those, trying to get coverage. And then the third one, that was just (bad) coverage. We had a couple guys, three guys caught behind the goal line.

"We shot ourselves in the foot. Just some uncharacteristic things in moments. And the momentum swings. We were playing a really strong game and it swung. Just like Game 4. You hope you learn from it the first time. But obviously, (it) happened again, move on. Like I said to you guys before, after Game 4, the damage is done. We've got to go home. Take care of our business at home."

Game 7 is Sunday at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg (7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TBS, MAX, FDSNMW).

With the game tied 1-1 after Perfetti scored on a power play for Winnipeg at 5:43 of the second period, Nathan Walker scored his third goal in two games, a tap-in from the top of the crease off a pass from Broberg behind the net at 11:34 to give the Blues a 2-1 lead.

“Whenever you can contribute and get the win, that’s obviously better than not,” Walker said. “’Broby’ made a great play there and I was just in the right spot at the right time.”

Brayden Schenn scored 53 seconds later at 12:27 on a long-range wrist shot from the top of the right circle using Winnipeg defenseman Neal Pionk as a screen.

Fowler made it 4-1 at 13:40 on a wrist shot from the high slot using Walker as a screen in front, and Toropchenko’s wrist shot from just inside the right circle in the slot made it 5-1 at 16:57.

“It felt like when Fowler scored, it almost popped the roof right off,” Schenn said. “It’s an unreal place to play. I’ve always said that about St. Louis. The fans are electric, full building every night, and they come to cheer with their Blues jersey on and pretty special city. We definitely embrace their energy.”

Winnipeg lamented self-inflicted wounds.

“I don't really know. They got that second one," Perfetti said. "Then it just kind of, things got carried away, and we just lost our game for four or five minutes, and they got a couple pucks through, and they found the back of the net, and that was frustrating. Happened a couple times now in this series where we fell asleep for a few minutes, and they jumped on us.”

Niederreiter's power-play goal at 8:54 of the third period cut the deficit to 5-2 on a puck at the goal line that the forward poked in after Binnington's initial save on Mason Appleton's one-timer.

Broberg gave the Blues a 1-0 lead at 6:03 of the first period when Robert Thomas found the defenseman in the high slot, and his one-timer knuckled through Hellebuyck, screened by St. Louis forward Pavel Buchnevich and Winnipeg defenseman Dylan Samberg in the crease.

The Jets thought they tied the game early in the second period when Morgan Barron picked off a Justin Faulk pass and scored, but the Blues challenged and Appleton was deemed to be offside at the 26-second mark.

“We’re on to the next game,” Montgomery said. “Just like when we lose Game 5, we’re on to the next game. We have to continue to improve throughout the series and bring that attitude that we need to have of trying to create chaos at their net front, trying to create chaos with our speed and our physicality.”

NOTES: Hellebuyck has allowed four or more goals in his past seven road playoff games; he allowed 16 goals on 66 shots in three games in St. Louis, good for a .758 save percentage. … Winnipeg forward Nikolaj Ehlers played 16:00 and had eight shot attempts (three on goal) in his first game since April 12 when he suffered a lower-body injury. … Fowler leads all defensemen in scoring in the playoffs with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) and is tied for second in overall scoring behind Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (11). … Broberg played 18:43 and was a plus-4. … St. Louis forward Mathieu Joseph had five hits in 11:22 time on ice, the forward’s first game since Game 1.