Schwartz’s hat trick lifts Blues past Jets 3-2 and onto the second round

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jaden Schwartz scored three times and Jordan Binnington stopped 18 shots to help the St. Louis Blues beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in Game 6 of their playoff series Saturday night to advance to the second round.

The Blues will next face the winner of the Dallas-Nashville series, which the Stars lead 3-2.

Bryan Little and Dustin Byfuglien scored for Winnipeg, which tried to rally after falling behind 3-0 early in the third period. Connor Hellebuyck finished with 33 saves.

The Blues became the first home team to win in the series, and advanced to the second round for the third time in four years.

Schwartz, who had only 11 goals in the regular season, has four in the playoffs — the Blues’ last four, starting the tiebreaking tally with 15 seconds left in the 3-2 win in Game 5.

Binnington began the season as a backup for the Blues’ AHL affiliate in San Antonio. He stopped 33 successive shots after giving up two first-period goals in Game 5.

Schwartz tallied just 23 seconds into the contest on a pass from Brayden Schenn. It was the third-fastest playoff goal in franchise history and the quickest since Brett Hull scored in Game 3 of a first-round playoff series with Vancouver on May 11, 1995.

Schwartz pushed the lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal off a wrist shot with 7:24 left in the second period and completed the natural hat trick early in the third. It was the Blues first postseason hat trick since Vladimir Tarasenko scored three times on April 18, 2015, against Minnesota.

Byfuglien jumped on the rebound of a shot by Kevin Hayes with 7:43 left in the contest, and Little pulled Winnipeg within one with 37 seconds remaining and Hellebuyck pulled for an extra skater.

NOTES: Winnipeg managed just one shot on goal in the second period. … The visiting team held a 12-4 scoring advantage in the third period and overtime during the series. … Winnipeg LW Nikolaj Ehlers played despite being hit in the foot by a shot from Colton Parayko late in Game 5. … The Blues had lost eight successive Game 6 contests. … St. Louis Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright and C Yadier Molina were in attendance. … The Blues recorded 20 hits in the first period, a series best.

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Blues: Will face either Nashville or Dallas in the second round.