Winnipeg’s hockey faithful were screaming their lungs out on April 16, 2025, as the Jets clawed back from the brink in a Game 7 thriller against the St. Louis Blues. Down 3-1 with under two minutes left in regulation, the Jets mounted a rally that had fans spilling beers and strangers hugging in the stands. The scoreboard read 3-3 when the buzzer sounded, sending the series-deciding game into overtime.
Cole Perfetti was the hero of the hour. With just 1.6 seconds left on the clock, he tipped in a shot to knot the game, igniting pandemonium at Canada Life Centre. The goal came off a frantic sequence, with the Jets pulling their goalie and throwing everything at the Blues’ net. Perfetti’s tip-in wasn’t just clutch—it was the kind of moment that gets replayed in highlight reels for decades. Earlier, the Jets had narrowed the gap to 3-2 when Perfetti scored with 1:58 remaining, setting the stage for the chaotic finish.
The comeback wasn’t just about one guy. Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele fed Perfetti for the tying goal, their passes cutting through a scrambling Blues defense like a hot knife. St. Louis, who’d held a commanding lead late in the third, looked shell-shocked as the Jets’ desperation turned into pure momentum. Fans were on their feet, waving white towels, chanting “Go Jets Go” until their throats gave out.
This wasn’t a game for the faint of heart. The Jets had trailed 2-0 after the first period, with the Blues dictating the pace. St. Louis’ top line buzzed early, capitalizing on a power play and a defensive lapse. Winnipeg battled back in the second, but the Blues answered, making it 3-1 with 10 minutes left. Most teams would’ve packed it in. Not these Jets.
The series itself was a grind. Seven games of bruising hits, tight checking, and goaltending heroics from both sides. Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck stopped 34 shots in Game 7, including a sprawling save in the third that kept the Jets’ hopes alive. Across the ice, Jordan Binnington was no slouch, turning away 29 shots before the Jets’ late barrage overwhelmed him.
When the dust settled, the game was headed to overtime, a do-or-die scenario for a spot in the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Fans didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or just keep yelling. One thing was clear: Winnipeg’s never-say-die spirit had turned a near-certain loss into a coin flip.
The Jets’ rally marked the latest chapter in a playoff run that’s had Winnipeg buzzing. The team finished the regular season with 110 points, good for second in the Central Division. St. Louis, no pushovers, ended with 98 points and a wild card berth. Game 7 was the culmination of a series that saw four one-goal games, two overtime battles, and enough drama to fill a season.
Perfetti’s goal was the 12th time in NHL history a team tied a Game 7 in the final two minutes of regulation. Winnipeg last pulled off a Game 7 comeback in 2018 against Nashville. For the Blues, it was a bitter pill—they hadn’t blown a multi-goal lead in a playoff game since 2019.