Blues vs Jets Picks and Prediction – 4/19/2025

The NHL Playoffs get going in Winnipeg as the Jets (56-22-4) host the St. Louis Blues (44-30-8) in Game 1 of their first-round series at Canada Life Centre. The Jets closed the regular season with a 2-1 OT win over the Ducks, while the Blues come in hot after routing Utah 6-1. Winnipeg took the most recent head-to-head on April 7, winning 3-1 at home. Hit the ice running with our NHL picks.

St. Louis enters this series with momentum, taking three of the last five and piling in goals in recent matchups, including six in the regular-season finale. The offense is paced by Robert Thomas, who has 81 points (21 goals, 60 assists), and Jordan Kyrou, who leads the team with 36 goals. That duo will need to be on point with Thomas listed day-to-day and Dylan Holloway ruled out. In the last visit to Winnipeg, the Blues managed just one goal in a 3-1 loss.

Defensively, St. Louis will lean heavily on goaltenders Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer. Binnington comes in with a 2.69 GAA and .900 save percentage, while Hofer has been slightly better statistically at 2.65 GAA and .904 save percentage. Special teams have been a weak spot—the Blues rank just 74.3% on the penalty kill and have given up 49 power play goals. 

Winnipeg comes in as one of the NHL’s best home teams, finishing the regular season 30-7-4 at Canada Life Centre. The Jets were dropped by Edmonton on April 13 but bounced back with wins over Chicago and Anaheim, allowing just one goal across the final two games. Kyle Connor has been the standout all season with 97 points (41 goals, 56 assists) and nine power-play goals. 

Defensively, Winnipeg’s dominance starts in net with Connor Hellebuyck, who has posted a lights-out 2.01 GAA and .925 save percentage with eight shutouts. The Jets allow just 2.32 goals per game, fourth best in the league, and the penalty kill is strong at 79.4%. Nikolaj Ehlers is out, but Rasmus Kupari and Gabriel Vilardi could return. 

The Jets are a complete team at home, and the defense has been lights out with Hellebuyck between the pipes. They allow fewer goals per game (2.32 vs 2.82), score more (3.35 vs 3.05), and dominate on special teams, especially on the power play (28.9% vs 22.1%). Unless Robert Thomas can suit up and the Blues improve the penalty kill, it’s going to be tough to steal Game 1 on the road. Final Score Prediction: Winnipeg Jets win 4-2.