The 2026-27 Winnipeg Jets are facing some adversity.

They’re without their top defenceman, the Connor Hellebuyck cloud hangs over everything, and now, they’ve lost three games in a row, falling 2-1 in St. Louis Tuesday night to start a short two-game road trip.

In a game of momentum swings, the Blues scored the go-ahead goal with 11 minutes left in the third period and hung on for the victory.

It was the Jets fourth loss in their last five games.

“We have our moments where we’re good,” said Jets forward Cole Perfetti. “We have our moments where we’re not so good. I think, like I kind ofsaid the other day of playing a full 60. That’s a big part of our game. And we have our times. I thought we came out strong in the first 10 (minutes) and they really took it to us. It looked like we kinda got away from our style in the second half of that first period.”

Perfetti scored their only goal in a losing cause.

It was the Jets first regulation loss on the road this season as they went 0-for-3 on the power play.

The Jets had eight of the first nine shots on goal, but the Blues outshot them 11-6 the rest of the opening period.

“It was a funny game in the sense that we were real good for the first 10 (minutes) of the first period,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “They were better in the second part of that. The second period – four penalties or whatever. It just kinda took the flow away, kinda lose your bench a little bit. I thought we were again in the third, got back to doing what we had to do and another penalty. But at the end of the day, it was a different kind of game in the sense the flow to it wasn’t great.”

The loss ended Stuart Skinner’s five-game point streak as he suffered his first regulation loss with the Jets. He made a number of highlight reel stops in his 26-save performance with the Blues scoring the game-winner on the power play after the Jets had killed off their first four penalties.

“We were fantastic on the PK (penalty kill),” said Skinner. “And as you’re really good on the PK, teams tend to change things. So, it’s just a smart play by them kinda spreading us out and getting a good one-time look from the middle. But yeah, tough way to get the loss obviously.”

Skinner felt the Blues first goal was kicked in but the Jets didn’t challenge it because they felt it was too close a call and didn’t think it would be overturned.

“I’m pretty adamant it is (kicking motion),” said Skinner. “Cause when the puck is coming to you and he flips his skate blade cause he’s tied up that’s really good defence on our part. So, I don’t know what else (Dylan) DeMelo is supposed to do. Is he supposed to take his legs out too? But if he does that, we’re in the (penalty) box 5-on-4. So, I think it’s a little too much of a grey zone.”

Mark Scheifele was held without a point to end his five-game point streak. And after scoring in six of their first seven games Kyle Connor has now gone back-to-back games without a goal.

The Jets were getting lots of shots on goal early, but it was St. Louis who opened the scoring with 7:30 to go in the first.

After Skinner made a few big saves, the puck found its way to Philip Broberg at the left point. He sent a pass to Dylan Holloway at the opposite faceoff dot before Holloway put the puck to the middle of the ice where Jimmy Snuggerud used his skate to guide it into an open net.

Skinner had hoped the goal would be waved off but Snuggerud did not appear to use a distinct kicking motion to deflect the puck.

The game stayed 1-0 through the second as well. The Blues failed to cash in on a pair of full power plays and lost a third when they took their own penalty after just 23 seconds.

The Jets got their first legit power play with 1:31 to go in the period and got a good look from Perfetti in front but his backhand went off the helmet of Joel Hofer and over the net.

The Jets began the third with 29 seconds of power play time and just moments after Snuggerud stepped out of the box, Winnipeg tied the game.

The Blues had a chance to clear the puck but were unable to do so as it landed on the stick of Gabriel Vilardi at the left point. He slid the puck through the slot to Perfetti in front of the net, who collected the puck, waited a beat and then slid it through Hofer’s five-hole for his sixth goalof the season.

St. Louis got their fifth power play look of the night when Dylan Samberg was called for tripping at the 8:25 mark and finally the Blues made the Jets pay.

Broberg and Robert Thomas played pitch-and-catch with the puck, waiting for a seam to open up, and when it did, Broberg blasted a pass from Thomas past Skinner at the 8:47 mark.

Winnipeg had a great chance to draw level with a power play look of their own with just over six minutes left but failed to register a shot on goal.

They got a few good opportunities to score with the goalie pulled but could not break through.

Winnipeg outshot the Blues 33-28 for the game as Hofer turned aside 32 shots for the win.

The Jets will try to end their slide in Dallas Thursday night.