For the Winnipeg Jets, this was a case of overcoming two hurdles for the price of one.

First and foremost, the Jets managed to beat the St. Louis Blues for the first time in four tries this season.

When all was said and done, the Jets had earned a 2-1 shootout victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night, which allowed them to maintain their grip on the second wild card in the Western Conference and move within a point of the Minnesota Wild for the first wild card.

The fact the Jets managed to earn a victory for the first time in 24 tries (0-19-4 previously) when trailing after two periods is an obvious bonus.

“We're going to need to play that type of hockey down the stretch to get in,” said Jets captain Andrew Ladd. “That's playoff-style hockey.”

Given how they've played since their arrival in the blockbuster deal with the Buffalo Sabres, it comes as little surprise that Drew Stafford and Tyler Myers found themselves right in the middle of things.

Stafford took a pass from Myers and went wide, beating Blues goalie Brian Elliott with a quick backhand at 13:16 of the third period, setting the stage for extra time.

“I was thinking about pulling (the puck) forward and shooting from the slot, but I held onto it a bit longer and just threw it on net and was able to get a lucky break there,” said Stafford. “That was a big one. We were due for a bounce against these guys.”

Stafford now has six goals and 11 points in 15 games since the deal and is obviously fitting in well.

“It's awesome. He's probably playing the best hockey I've seen him play and I've seen him play some pretty good hockey in Buffalo,” said Myers, who played a game-high 29 minutes and two seconds and had an assist. “It's really good to see him playing with that much confidence.”

Given the way he's playing, there's little doubt the Jets will try hard to get Stafford locked up on a new deal before he becomes a free agent on July 1.

Stafford has meshed well with Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele, giving the Jets another productive trio.

“Really, he's had a huge impact since he's been here,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “No small points. He only gets big goals, big assists. He seems to elevate his game.”

Once again, embattled goalie Ondrej Pavelec played an important role, making 32 saves over 65 minutes and then turning aside two of three shooters in the penalty-shot contest.

Make no mistake, as much as Pavelec didn't want to revisit the Nightmare on Clark Avenue, this win is going to carry a little more meaning for him.

This time, there was no Hail Mary shot to spoil an otherwise brilliant performance.

Pavelec was sharp throughout this contest, including top-notch saves against Carl Gunnarsson, T.J. Oshie and Jaden Schwartz, to name a few.

Blues captain David Backes roofed his shot past Pavelec at 8:08 of the second period, thanks to a nifty set-up by Paul Stastny.

But overall, Pavelec was downright excellent and with his performance, there's little doubt that he's earned the right to start once again when the Jets close out this three-game homestand against the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.

With 11 games to go, the Jets still have an awfully long way to go before punching their ticket to the post-season party.

But with performances like the one on Thursday night against the team Maurice called the “best in the NHL following the morning skate” the dream may soon become a reality for a franchise that is eager to end a long stretch of time without a playoff date.

“One thing that's been pretty good about this group is we're not dwelling on the past and what's gone on here,” said Ladd, who provided the shootout winner. “We've all kind of joined in our drive to the future and what we can do with this group and how confident we feel with everyone we have in this room. We're a tight-knit group, we care about each other and that shows on the ice.”

It also shows in the standings.

Ken.wiebe@sunmedia.ca