With Gabriel Vilardi (upper body) expected to return to action Wednesday, Iafallo projects to lose his spot on the No. 1 power-play unit and slot down a line and skate with Vladislav Namestnikov and Cole Perfetti at five-on-five. It’s a significant hit to Iafallo’s offensive upside, and he hasn’t hit the scoresheet since his Game 1 goal despite a cushy gig skating with Mark Schiefele and Kyle Conner – Winnipeg’s two best scorers. Additionally, Namestnikov, Iafallo and Perfetti only played 39:18 together at 5-on-5 during the regular season, so there isn’t oodles of chemistry to build on.
The Jets won the first two games of Round 1 on home ice and went 30-7-4 at the Canada Life Centre during the regular season. Winnipeg also limited St. Louis to just 2.76 expected goals and eight high-danger scoring chances across Games 1 and 2, which aligns with the Jets allowing the fewest goals per game (1.95) on home ice during the regular season. Winnipeg No. 1 Connor Hellebuyck has played poorly, but the Jets have been the better team for the majority of the series, and Hellebuyck did post an elite .925 save percentage with a league-high 48.8 GSAx during the regular season. He bounces back Wednesday, and the Jets take a 3-2 series lead.