It all comes down to this. Winner takes all. The two best words in sports: Game Seven.

After the Winnipeg Jets took a 2-0 lead in the series, you probably didn’t think we’d need a Game Seven to decide the winner. But after failing to win a single game in St. Louis and enduring a few brutal performances from Connor Hellebuyck, here we are. Here are three keys to the game for the Jets if they want to advance to the second round.

I don’t have to remind you about Hellebuyck’s playoff yips. The .815 save percentage and 4.42 goals-against average tell you everything you need to know about how this series has gone for him. The beauty of Game Sevens is that the previous games don’t matter. All that matters is who plays better in this one game. Hellebuyck has only played in one Game Seven in his career, back in 2018 in the second round against the Nashville Predators. The Jets won 5–1, and Hellebuyck posted a .973 save percentage. So hopefully that eases your nerves a little.

Winnipeg’s power play is running at just 20 per cent in the playoffs, while the penalty kill sits at 76 per cent. If the Jets want to move on, their special teams need to be much better. Game Six was a good step in the right direction — they went six-for-six on the penalty kill. But the power play is the real key. The Jets had the best power play in the NHL during the regular season, and they need to get back to that form. They went two-for-six with the man advantage last game, and with Nikolaj Ehlers starting to shake off the rust after missing three weeks, hopefully he can spark the power play and help get it back to regular-season form.

All series long, Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele have been driving the Jets’ offence. But with Scheifele ruled out for the game, Winnipeg will need other players to step up. Mason Appleton has tallied six assists but has yet to find the back of the net. Alex Iafallo has gone pointless in the last five games — he’s another player the Jets need to get going. Brandon Tanev has made his mark in this series by throwing hits and stirring things up after the whistle, but he’s only scored once since being traded back to Winnipeg and hasn’t registered a point in the playoffs. There’s no better time than now for him to make his mark on the scoreboard.

Just as a bonus, the home team has won every game so far in this series. That’s a great sign for the Jets, as Game Seven is in Winnipeg. The Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy as the best team in the NHL — now they just have to play like it. Puck drops at 6 p.m. CT.

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