Just one matchup remains in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets are set to battle in a winner-take-all Game 7. The victor of this highly anticipated contest will earn a spot in the second round to face the Dallas Stars. The Winnipeg Jets, who concluded the regular season with the league`s best record, hold the crucial home-ice advantage for this deciding game.
Here`s a closer look at the key factors heading into Sunday`s decisive Game 7 clash between St. Louis and Winnipeg, including insights into team performance, key player statistics, and analytical projections.
A prominent trend throughout this series has been the strong advantage for the home team, with the host winning every one of the six games played so far. Both the Blues and the Jets have demonstrated considerably better performance on their home ice compared to playing on the road. St. Louis managed to score 17 goals while playing at home in their arena, a stark contrast to their offensive output in Winnipeg. Similarly, the Jets found goals harder to come by in St. Louis, scoring only five times in three away games, but were much more productive at home, finding the net 12 times. Winnipeg`s starting goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck, a strong candidate for the Hart Memorial Trophy, has also shown a significant improvement in his performance when playing in front of the home crowd compared to his three starts in St. Louis, where he allowed a total of 16 goals.
Winnipeg is looking to achieve a rare feat: becoming the first team since the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks to win both the Presidents` Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season. However, they also face the possibility of a disappointing exit, potentially becoming the third Presidents` Trophy winner since the 2018-19 season to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Across both teams in the series, one player from St. Louis leads all skaters with 10 points. For the Winnipeg Jets, Kyle Connor stands out as their top point producer, having recorded nine points from four goals and five assists. According to one analytical projection model, there is a strong recommendation to bet the `Under` on Kyle Connor`s total points prop line (set at 1.5), predicting he will finish with approximately 0.5 points. The same model also favors the `Under` for the St. Louis player`s points prop (set at 0.5), rating this prediction as a solid play.
Regarding the betting odds for the game, the Winnipeg Jets are listed as -177 favorites on the money line, having initially opened at -115. The St. Louis Blues are the visiting underdogs, currently at +147. The over/under for total goals in the game is set at 5. One projection model calculates that one team has a 64% probability of winning the simulation.
Torin Vale 
Elton Marrow