The Winnipeg Jets are on the brink of elimination, trailing 3-1 to the Colorado Avalanche in their first round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vezina Trophy contender Connor Hellebuyck is not playing up to his level, which hurts his team's chances of winning.
Hellebuyck has to be better for the Jets to win this series against the Avalanche. In this series alone, Hellebuyck has a 5.22 goals against average and a .870 save percentage.
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However, according to StatMuse, Hellebuyck's struggles are not limited to the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs; can be traced back to the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs when the Jets lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the Western Conference Finals.
In three of five games, Hellebuyck had a sub-.900 save percentage, averaging a .896 save percentage. In those three games, Hellebuyck had a 3.08 goals against average. Those numbers are nothing short of spectacular for one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Although his numbers improved slightly, when the Jets needed to be at their best, Hellebuyck would still give up goals where he shouldn't. There were times during the 2021 COVID Bubble when he gave up three or more goals to the Montreal Canadiens in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup in three games. Winnipeg was swept.
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After missing the playoffs in 2022, Winnipeg returned to the playoffs in 2023 but fell again to the Golden Knights after taking Game 1. Hellebuyck again fouled out against then-former teammate Laurent Brossoit.
Hellebuyck averaged a 3.44 goals-against average and .886 save percentage in the five-game series, giving up 18 goals. This trend continued until the playoffs where he was considered the winner of the Vezina Trophy.
Hellebuyck, through four games, is averaging a 5.22 goals against average.870 save percentage, allowing 19 goals. These are not good numbers. In his last eight games, Hellebuyck has given up three or more goals. Winnipeg needs him to be better.
For a goaltender who had a 37-19-4 record with a 2.39 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage, and five shutouts, he expects more than a 2-7 record in his last nine postseason games with a 5.24 goals-against average and and a .868 save percentage.
However, the Jets' formation in front of Hellebuyck and their poor penalty kill is not helping the situation. The Jets' penalty kill is 14th out of 16 teams at 60 percent. That's not good enough when Colorado is operating at a 40 percent clip on the powerplay.
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In Game 4, the Jets gave Colorado four power plays in the second half. The Avalanche converted two of their four, and Hellebuyck was pulled.
Your best penalty killer should be your goaltender, but when a team like the Jets takes unintended penalties, those penalties always equate to goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And with how important special teams has been this year in the playoffs, the Jets can't afford to allow Colorado this many chances.
Yes, Connor Hellebuyck should be better. But the Winnipeg Jets have been the better defensive team this year, and if you look at it, it's been against them every game this season. And they're not playing like one right now.
The Jets are missing their starting goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck, but he needs to play up to his regular season numbers. If not, this series is over, and many questions will be raised.
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