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WINNIPEG, MANITOBA — Yes, the Blues-Jets first-round series, which got underway Saturday night at Canada Life Centre, is a rematch of the series that started the Blues on their way to a Stanley Cup in 2019, but there’s also some more recent battles to remember.

The 4 Nations Face-Off didn’t just mark a turning point in the season for the Blues, it marked a win for Blues goalkeeper Jordan Binnington, playing for Canada, over Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck, playing for the United States.

The United States won the first round meeting 3-1, with the third goal coming into an empty net. Binnington stopped 20 of 22 shots while Hellebuyck stopped 25 of 26. The teams met again in the championship game, where Binnington shined. He faced 33 shots, stopping 31 of them, and was at his best in overtime, stopping six shots, some spectacularly, buying time for Canada’s Connor McDavid to score the game winner.

The series presents a matchup between the player considered the best goalie in the game today — Hellebuyck is the favorite for the Vezina Trophy, which would make him just the fourth goalie since 1981-82, when the vote was given to GMs, to win it back to back, joining Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek and Martin Brodeur — and a Stanley Cup-winning goalie known for his play in big games.

“Obviously he's had a tremendous year, he’s a great goaltender,” Binnington said. “So, it's kind of not my job to think about that, right? It's just focusing on myself and doing what I can to be my best, to give our team a chance to win.”

Binnington will have to be his best because Hellebuyck just doesn’t allow many goals. His 2.00 goals-against average is the best in the league among goalies to play at least 20 games and is .926 save percentage is second best.

And while this series looks like Binnington vs. Hellebuyck, it’s of course not. It’s Binnington vs. the Jets, Hellebuyck vs. the Blues.

“I think it's on you,” Binnington said. “It's on me to just be the best version of myself. And I think when you focus on that, you really simplify it, and you don't compare and create outside narratives. It's just, I do what I can do, and I believe in myself to get the job done."

Going second

There’s one thing Blues coach Jim Montgomery can’t do anything about in Games 1 and 2: controlling who his players go up against after a faceoff. The home team gets to make the last line change at a stoppage, so Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel has the final say whenever there’s a faceoff.

“I find it much easier to just coach on your toes, on the road,” Montgomery said. “You put out your line, and you dictate matchups and if it's not a matchup you like, the players got to battle through it. Every time there's a whistle, they're going to get their matchup. So as a coach, you just put out the guys you think are in favorable situations, whether it's offensive zone, neutral zone, defensive zone, and you live with your decisions, and you're asking your players, and you're trusting your players to get the job done.”

Almost all hands on deck

The Blues had the same lineup as in Game 82 against Utah, which meant Robert Thomas was in, and for the third game in a row, Colton Parayko was back on defense. Still out is left wing Dylan Holloway.

Getting in the last two games of the season was a big help, Parayko said.

“It was good that everything was on track and maybe even a little faster than on track,” he said. “I think for me personally to feel the speed a little bit again, get things situated with my personal game. That translates to a team game. But just gaps, moving pucks and thinking the game a little bit more. You feel good going into the playoffs when you’ve played a couple games, played recently. You get back in sync with the guys, with the team. It feels good.”

Parayko will have a 4 Nations reunion in this series. Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey was Parayko's partner in that event.

“As a player, he’s extremely smart," Parayko said, "moves extremely well. He’s very impressive. He just makes plays, he sees lots of plays that I don’t think you would see. He’s an elite player, elite defender. Great player over there, try to make it difficult on him obviously. But as a person, can’t say enough good things. Just a great person. Can’t say one bad thing about him.”