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Ultimately, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck believed the Winnipeg Jets could compete for the Stanley Cup if they kept the band together.

Center Mark Scheifele believed the same. They signed seven-year, $59.5 million contracts to see this quest through.

Defenseman Josh Morrissey is working under an 8-year, $50 million contract. Defenseman Neal Pionk just got a six-year, $42 million contract.

They, too, are believers. They helped lead the Jets to the Presidents’ Trophy this season with the NHL’s best overall record.

Along with winger Kyle Connor, who has a year left on his seven-year, $50 million contract, they are trying to reward their franchise’s commitment to them and their own loyalty to team with a breakthrough Cup run.

In Game 1 against the Blues Saturday night, Scheifele and Connor worked their offensive magic.

“I think they read off each other so well, they’re so dynamic together, and then their space is incredible,� Jets captain Adam Lowry noted to reporters. “They don’t crowd each other in the (offensive) zone, but they always seem to have that tight support whenever they need an out. It was great to see them rewarded. I thought they had a heck of a Game 1.�

Connor was dangerous the whole game. Finally, he scored his dagger goal with his patented one-time shot from the right faceoff circle.

“All I want to do is put the puck in his hands and he does some fantastic things,� Scheifele said. “Like I said before, I’m lucky to play with him. He’s absolutely fantastic, he shoots the puck fantastic, he does so many little things fantastic. Like I said a million times, he’s amazing to play with.�

As for Hellebuyck, he made the save he had to make to win the game. He held the fort against Jordan Kyrou’s breakaway.

The Jets aren’t seen the same light as NHL powers –- the Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning -- because they haven’t gone the distance. They exited their previous two postseasons in the first round.

The franchise's deepest playoff run came back in 2018, when the Jets reached the Final Four.

Once again Winnipeg’s core group is setting out to earn that ultimate respect. One game into the postseason, they appear to be on track.

Here is what folks are writing about the NHL playoffs:

Barry Petchesky, The Defector: “It feels almost unfair that the Winnipeg Jets, with their all-universe goalie and their league-fewest goals allowed, are also constructed to be able to win a slugfest if necessary. Third-most goals in the NHL this year, paced as always by the dynamic Kyle Connor–Mark Scheifele duo, the Jets are very much unlike some of the defense-first rosters out there in that they can and will happily absorb a haymaker or two and answer in kind. That came in handy on Saturday, as a white-hot crowd watched the Jets trade goals with the Blues in a wild first period, only to asset their dominance as the game wore on. The final score read 5-3 Jets, but after a 2-2 first period, it felt like it might be one of those very silly playoff openers where the combination of nerves, an extended feeling-out period, and the small sample size add up to a game with no particular contextual anchor, where everyone kind of agrees to pretend it was an anomaly that just sort of happened . . . Over the course of the second period and throughout the third, the Jets increasingly flexed their control of the game, to the extent one wondered if the ice was tilting in a way that wasn't just metaphorical: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ mustered just two shots on goal in the final frame. Still, it took time to the Jets to break through. Alex Iafallo tied it up nine minutes in, and it wasn't until 18:24 that Connor punched home a one-timer from — who else! — Scheifele.â€�

Mike Zeisberger, : “The Toronto Maple Leafs came into the latest edition of the Battle of Ontario having scored two goals or fewer in 13 of their past 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Given the fact that basically half of Toronto’s NHL salary cap space is dedicated to four forwards – Auston Matthews ($13.25 million average annual value), William Nylander ($11.5 million AAV), John Tavares ($11 million AAV) and Mitch Marner ($10.9 million AAV) -- who are being paid to score goals and put up points, the Maple Leafs so-called Core Four simply hadn’t lived up to expectations, especially when it mattered most. For one night, anyway, all of that changed. One-off or trend? It’s too early to say. This much is certain: The offensive explosion by Toronto’s so-called big boys in a 6-2 victory against the Ottawa Senators in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday was a long time coming.”

Adam Proteau, The Hockey News: “The Hurricanes simply dominated New Jersey in every facet of the game. Just 2:24 into the first period, Carolina took the lead – and the Hurricanes kept on coming, outshooting the Devils 17-5 in the opening frame, and again outshooting New Jersey 21-8 in the middle frame. The rink was obviously tilted in the Hurricanes’ favor, and at no time did it ever feel like the Devils looked capable of challenging the ‘Canes for the lead. More importantly, the Hurricanes’ dominance got in the heads of New Jersey’s players. Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom did post a save percentage of .932 in Game 1, but Markstrom also committed a huge blunder late in the game, trying to take a whack at Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov in front of his net, only to slash his own player, Devils winger Cody Glass, who left the game. Markstrom’s attack on his own teammate spoke to New Jersey’s general frustration with this game, as they couldn’t generate much of anything through the middle parts of the ice and in close in front of Carolina netminder Frederik Andersen, who stopped all but one of the Devils’ 24 shots. New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe has the next day-and-a-half to try and figure out how to puncture the protective bubble the Hurricanes have essentially enveloped Andersen with.�

Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic: “Health. Confidence. A change of scenery. Mackenzie Blackwood needed all three of those things by the time his five years were done in New Jersey. In many ways, while it felt like a low point in his career, the Devils dealing his rights to San Jose in the summer of 2023 was the fresh start the netminder needed. While playing goal for a last-place team gutting its roster in a major rebuild may not sound that appealing, Blackwood rebuilt his game in San Jose, which eventually caught the attention of the Avalanche this season. It’s hard to imagine where the Avs would be now without making that Dec. 9 trade with the Sharks. But that trade never happens without the 28-year-old goalie first finding his footing again in San Jose.�

Greg Wyshynski, : “There's a lot of disrespect toward the Capitals despite their record, from the lack of star depth behind Ovechkin to some questions about how good this team really is when you look under the hood. But assuming they continue to get solid goaltending -- and hopefully Logan Thompson is healthy enough to make a difference there -- Washington is a fundamentally better hockey team than Montreal and will win this series. But congratulations to the Canadiens for the valuable experience they'll gain and for not stumbling over their own skates into the abyss like every other Eastern Conference wild-card contender eventually did.”

MEGAPHONE

“Kind of the old saying: You’re not in the NHL till you play in the playoffs.�

Ottawa Senators winger David Perron, on the hard lessons his team learned in their Game 1 loss to Toronto.