Former Rangers teammates play massive roles in helping Jets win epic Game 7 in 2OT
As New York Rangers teammates several years ago, Neal Pionk and Vladislav Namestnikov never had the chance to shine on the big stage. But reunited in Winnipeg, the pair combined to play massive roles in one of the greatest moments in Jets history Sunday night.
The Jets rallied from a 3-1 deficit late in the third period, tying the decisive Game 7 of their first-round playoff series against the St. Louis Blues with three seconds remaining in regulation, before winning 4-3 in double overtime.
“That was one for the ages,” Jets coach — and former Rangers assistant — Scott Arniel said postgame.
Pionk and Namestnikov had their fingerprints all over this one.
Already playing without No. 1 center Mark Scheifele for the second straight contest, the Jets lost their top defenseman, Josh Morrissey, less than eight minutes into the game with an unspecified injury. By that point, Winnipeg already trailed 2-0.
Pionk, though, stepped up in Morrissey’s absence and logged a game-high 46:15 TOI, more than twice his normal workload this season. He became the first player to log over 40 minutes in a Game 7 since Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis did it with the Blues in 1999 against the Phoenix Coyotes.
Clearly, he was ready for the moment. Pionk assisted on three of Winnipeg’s four goals, including the game-winner, when his shot from inside the blue line was deflected into the net by captain Adam Lowry at 16:10 of the second overtime.
The 29-year-old defenseman, whom the Rangers dealt to the Jets in the Jacob Trouba trade back in 2019, also assisted on Namestnikov’s goal with goalie Connor Hellebuyck pulled for the extra attacker at 18:04 of the third period that made it 3-2. With Hellebuyck again on the bench, Cole Perfetti tied the game on a neat deflection at 19:57 to send the crowd at Canada Life Centre into bedlam, saving the Jets season.
Pionk was a horse at each end of the ice throughout the game and especially in the two overtime periods. He finished with seven shot attempts, three shots on goal, six hits and four blocked shots, juggling defense partners with Winnipeg down to five healthy defensemen.
To say Pionk looked more than worthy of that six-year, $42 million contract he signed with the Jets three weeks ago is a major understatement.
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Former Rangers Neal Pionk, Vladislav Namestnikov help Jets reach second round of playoffs
Namestnikov came up big, as well. With Scheifele out again, Namestnikov played more than 25 minutes at center and had seven shot attempts, three shots on goal and three hits. He had a pair of Grade-A scoring chances denied by Blues goalie Jordan Binnington, who was outstanding making 43 saves.
The 32-year-old came though when the Jets needed him most, though. His right circle shot hit a Blues stick in front and redirected past Binnington with under two minutes to play in regulation, and gave Perfetti the chance to tie the score in the closing seconds.
Neither Pionk nor Namestnikov had such moments on Broadway with the Rangers. They were Rangers teammates from 2017-19, when the Blueshirts were at the start of a rebuild under coach David Quinn. So, neither appeared in a playoff game with the Rangers.
Pionk, a rookie in 2017-18, was moved to the Jets the summer of 2019; and Namestnikov, who arrived from the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017-18 as part of the package for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller, lasted until the 2019-20 season before he was traded to the Ottawa Senators.
They reunited with the Jets in 2022-23 and have been teammates again the past two and a half seasons. Namstnikov signed a two-year, $6 million extension in February, so they’ll remain teammates for the foreseeable future — and will continue on into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring against the Dallas Stars.
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