The Winnipeg Jets took Game 1 of their matchup against the St. Louis Blues, but the Blues themselves proved they can hang with the big dogs and compete. St. Louis opened the scoring with Robert Thomas finding the back of the net, and Oskar Sundqvist would later tie the game at 2-2 before the first period ended. Winnipeg ultimately went on to win the game, but the overall effort from the Blues was solid. Today on Daily Faceoff Live, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk talk about the Blues and how they can compete against the Jets. Tyler Yaremchuk: The St. Louis Blues still find a way to come back and win. Like the first 20 minutes, you’re sitting there going like, oh boy, playoff, Connor Hellebuyck allowed two goals on nine shots, and you’re thinking, this Blues team, is it maybe a bad match up for Winnipeg? But, I mean, full credit to the Jets’ stars. Mark Scheifele was absolutely excellent with a goal and an assist, including setting up Kyle Connor for the game winner in the third period as well. Did that game change your opinion on either side here, Frank? Frank Seravalli: I do think the Blues can hang, and I think they play a relatively clinical style in the sense that they’re not gonna give up a lot of space. They’re really positionally sound, and I think the Jets picked through that well. I think they also were in a spot where they had some real nerves, like they were facing a lot of what we just talked about with the Leafs, a lot of things hanging over their head. Connor Hellebuyck allowed three goals on ten shots to open the game. I mean, it was about as bad a start, and the Blues were opportunistic. I think the way that Winnipeg settled into that game, they turned it on in the third period, played textbook, Jets hockey that we had seen all season long, that won them the President’s Trophy. Frank Seravalli: They were deadly fast, they were, you know, made some great plays, playmaking finishing ability on display, and a lot of what they did emanated from their own end. So I think they were able to put it all together and now can breathe a sigh of relief. Can you imagine how different the temperature and conversation would be in Toronto today or in Winnipeg today had either one of those teams lost the game? It just allows you to kind of get your feet wet and make it into the playoffs in the right manner, not that you can sort of dip your toe in the water, but it takes so much of the pressure off. Tyler Yaremchuk: Yeah, it does, and now I think the key for both Toronto and Winnipeg is. I mean, all the teams went up, won nothing, is don’t let it slip into any state of comfort. Don’t be sitting there and going like, okay, we got this now. You can’t get high on your own supply, whatever line you want to throw out in this whole thing, you you have to find a way to keep that intensity and keep playing with that edge, because I do think, again, as much as Toronto seemed like a very calm, mature win. I like that Winnipeg show, just some scrap in there. They played a very intense style of hockey.