In a stunning twist of fate, the St. Louis Blues endured a playoff nightmare on Sunday night, just a heartbeat away from victory against the Winnipeg Jets.

With only 2.2 seconds left in Game 7, which stood as a do-or-die moment in their opening-round series, the Blues appeared poised to upset the NHL's top team, the Jets, who boasted an impressive 116 points this season. However, a chaotic final sequence shattered their dreams as Cole Perfetti netted a game-tying goal, flipping the script on a nearly secured victory.

Blues head coach Jim Montgomery reflected on the heartbreaking turn of events, admitting, "We thought we could reclaim the puck and win the battle. Unfortunately, our structure fell apart, leading to a 3-on-2 opportunity for the Jets. Their missed one-timer landed perfectly for a player in the slot—just a cruel twist of puck luck in this series. It shows why home teams dominated this postseason. Seven wins for home teams is no coincidence."

Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich faced criticism for a questionable choice in the final minute. With a golden opportunity to kill the clock by skating the puck into the empty net, he instead launched a shot from his own blue line, missing completely and resulting in an icing call.

"Had Buchnevich skated it instead of taking that shot, we’d be on our way to Dallas right now," lamented a disappointed fan, capturing the sense of regret that hung in the air.

The Jets capitalized on the chaos, ultimately clinching a 4-3 victory in double overtime thanks to Adam Lowry's decisive goal.

Blues captain Brayden Schenn couldn't hide his dismay, stating, "That one stings big time. From leading by two goals to conceding two 6-on-5 goals in the last moments, to being seconds away from closing out the series... this is just brutal. We fought hard all season, and there are no other words to describe this pain."

The Blues had initially established a solid lead, going up 2-0 and then 3-1, only to falter as the Jets pulled their goalie, igniting the final thrust of drama with two late goals.

The Jets' second goal was a whirlwind of mishaps and lucky breaks, where Nikolaj Ehlers recovered from a missed shot at the blue line to find Kyle Connor. Connor’s quick pass set up Perfetti perfectly, securing his second goal of the game and injecting life into the Winnipeg crowd.

With standout performances, Jordan Kyrou, Mathieu Joseph, and Radek Faksa contributed to the Blues' offensive efforts, while goalie Jordan Binnington made an impressive 43 saves.

Despite their crushing defeat, the Jets emerged victorious, breaking a cycle of early playoff exits after securing the franchise's first Presidents' Trophy with a stellar 56-22-4 regular-season record.

Jets' first-year head coach Scott Arniel recalled the pressure of past disappointments, emphasizing their resolve: "We didn’t want to go out in the first round again. I told the guys to bring their best game forward and leave it all on the ice—no regrets."

Next up, the Jets will face the Dallas Stars, marking an exciting new chapter in their postseason journey starting Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Stars showcased their own third-period magic, overcoming a 2-0 deficit against the Avalanche to secure their spot, fueled by Mikko Rantanen's stunning hat trick.