Kyle Connor has a goal, 2 assists to lead Jets to 5-3 win over Blues for 3-2 series lead

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor had a goal and two assists and the Winnipeg Jets overcame the loss of star center Mark Scheifele to beat the St. Louis Blues 5-3 on Wednesday night and take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series.

The Jets lost Scheifele after he was crushed into the boards by Brayden Schenn early in the opening period.

Vladislav Namestnikov, who replaced Scheifele on the top line, had a goal and an assist.

“When things don’t go your way, we lost (Scheifele), people have to step up. So I think as a team we stepped up today and got the win,” Namestnikov said.

Jets head coach Scott Arniel had no postgame updates on Scheifele and couldn’t say if he would make the trip to St. Louis for Game 6 on Friday.

Nino Niederreiter also had a goal and assist. Dylan DeMelo and Adam Lowry had goals while Mason Appleton had three assists.

Connor Hellebuyck made 16 saves for Winnipeg, which had top-line winger Gabriel Vilardi back in action after missing 15 games with an upper-body injury.

“Really proud of the effort,” said Lowry, who scored an empty-netter. “Sometimes when you lose your No. 1 center, you lose a key piece to your lineup there can be a bit of a sag, an emotional letdown. But you know, I thought the guys really rallied around it.”

Nathan Walker scored twice and rookie Jimmy Snuggerud also had a goal for the Blues. Jordan Binnington stopped 21 shots.

“They’re a good team, but we’ve played some good hockey at home for a couple of months now, so we’re comfortable there and fans (are) behind us,” Schenn said.

After being outscored 12-3 in two losses in St. Louis, the Jets jumped to a 1-0 lead 1:23 into the first period.

Scheifele sent the puck from behind the net out to Connor, who snapped it past Binnington.

The Blues responded when Walker stayed in front of Hellebuyck and tipped in a point shot from Colton Parayko at 3:42.

St. Louis defenseman Cam Fowler also picked up an assist, extending his point streak to five games with one goal and eight assists.

Winnipeg got the game’s first power play after Schenn crushed Scheifele. He was called for interference and then roughing after Jets forward Brandon Tanev defended his teammate.

Twenty-seven seconds after Schenn’s extra penalty expired, Niederreiter tipped in Dylan Samberg's shot at 8:39.

Both teams took four penalties, and had 17 hits each.

After the Jets only got one shot on goal in their second power play, Snuggerud scored his second goal of the playoffs with a low shot that went between Hellebuyck’s left pad and the post at 6:06.

DeMelo scored Winnipeg’s first second-period goal of the series when his point shot went off the back of Parayko and into the net at 11:05.

Connor sent a backhand pass across the front of the net to a rushing Namestnikov, who made it 4-2 with 1:09 remaining in the second.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Winnipeg Jets' Neal Pionk (4) defends against St. Louis Blues' Oskar Sundqvist (70) in front of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) during the third period of an NHL playoff game in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues' Nathan Walker (26) tips the puck past Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) for the goal as Nino Niederreiter (62) defends during first period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Dylan DeMelo (2), Vladislav Namestnikov (7), Gabriel Vilardi (13) and Kyle Connor (81) celebrate DeMelo's goal against the St. Louis Blues during second period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Nino Niederreiter (62) celebrates his goal against the St. Louis Blues during first period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Morgan Barron (36) and St. Louis Blues' Robert Thomas (18) collide during first period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Nino Niederreiter (62) attempts to tip the puck past St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) as Justin Faulk (72) defends during second period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues' Nathan Walker (26) celebrates his goal against Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) during first period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Blues' Nathan Walker (26) tips the puck past Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) for the goal as Nino Niederreiter (62) defends during first period NHL playoff action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — The Supreme Court in Guinea on Sunday upheld the election victory of Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya, cementing the junta leader's transition to a democratically elected president four years after staging a coup in the West African nation.

Doumbouya won the country’s first election since the 2021 coup after polling 86.7% of the votes, according to the General Directorate of Elections. His victory, which had been predicted by analysts, was confirmed by the Supreme Court in the capital Conakry.

“Today, there are neither winners nor losers. There is only one Guinea, united and indivisible,” Doumbouya said in a broadcast late Sunday, calling on citizens to “build a new Guinea, a Guinea of ​​peace, justice, shared prosperity, and fully assumed political and economic sovereignty.”

Yero Baldé, the runner-up who won 6.59% of the vote, had filed a petition accusing the electoral body of manipulating the results in Doumbouya’s favor. But authorities said he withdrew the petition a day before the Supreme Court verdict.

The Dec. 28 election was held under a new constitution that revoked a ban on military leaders running for office and extended the presidential mandate from five years to seven years.

Critics say Doumbouya has clamped down on political opponents and dissent since the 2021 coup, leaving him with no major opposition among the eight other candidates in the race.

The weakened opposition “focused attention on Mamadi Doumbouya as the only key figure capable of ensuring the continuity of the state,” said N’Faly Guilavogui, a Guinean political analyst. "Guineans are waiting to see what efforts he will make to ensure political stability and reconciliation,” Guilavogui added.

Despite the country's rich mineral resources including the world’s biggest exporter of bauxite, which is used to make aluminum, more than half of its 15 million people are experiencing record levels of poverty and food insecurity, according to the World Food Program.

The junta’s most important initiative has been a mega-mining project at Simandou, the world’s largest iron ore deposit. The 75% Chinese-owned project began production in December after decades of delays.

Guinea's President, Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya, arrives with his wife, Lauriane Doumbouya, to cast their votes in the presidential election in Conakry, Guinea, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Fode Toure)