WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Kyle Connor's one-timer with 1:36 remaining in the third period snapped a 3-3 tie, and the No. 1 seed Winnipeg Jets survived a Game 1 scare -- and some shaky goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck -- to post a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues in the opener of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Connor also contributed a pair of assists and captain Adam Lowry capped the victory with an empty-netter with 53 seconds left, much to the delight of the "whiteout" full house of 15,225 fans at the Canada Life Centre.

"There were some emotional swings. Obviously, we didn't get off to the start we wanted," Lowry said during his postgame bench interview, aired on the arena's jumbotron. "But what an incredible third period, what an incredible atmosphere. And we're real happy with the result."

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Monday in Winnipeg, and the home team knows it will need a more complete effort in their own zone if it is to gain a 2-0 series lead. Hellebuyck made 14 saves en route to the win, but in allowing three goals in the first two periods, he finished with a concerning .824 save percentage.

But Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists and Jaret Anderson-Dolan also scored for the Jets, who won the Presidents' Trophy for the NHL's best regular-season record (56-22-4). With his three points, Scheifele became the Jets' all-time leader in playoff points with 41.

"It's obviously really cool," Scheifele said of the record. "To do it in front of the fans tonight was pretty special. That was a fun game to be a part of."

Jordan Kyrou gave the Blues a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal early in the second period, but Winnipeg's top-line winger Alex Iafallo tied it at 9:18 of the third.

Robert Thomas also scored on the power play for St. Louis. Oskar Sundqvist added one at even strength and Justin Faulk had two assists.

Jordan Binnington stopped 21 shots for St. Louis, which grabbed the Western Conference's final wild-card spot with a final-game victory.

St. Louis outshot the Jets 9-7 in the opening period, and dished out 32 hits to Winnipeg's 14, as the teams hit the locker room tied at 2-2.

The Blues came out of the first intermission and used the power play for Kyrou's goal at 1:13 and a 3-2 lead. It extended his season-ending point streak to four goals and two assists in four games.

"Overall, I thought it was a really good hockey game, but we are going to grow and we are going to get better," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. "That's what we're going to have to do. ... We've got a lot of young guys playing in their first game in the Stanley Cup playoffs. That's why I know we will get better."

Winnipeg couldn't capitalize on its early third-period man advantage but came close when Binnington denied Connor on a one-timer.

After Lowry's goal, players paired up for some fighting with 19 seconds left after a regular-season series that Winnipeg won 3-1.

"That's playoff hockey," Hellebuyck said. "You have to play 'till the last minute, the last second. You know, it was a lot of fun, the guys were buzzing out there. I didn't get a whole lot of action in the third. But it was really fun to watch and be a part of it."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.