Helly gets the hook after Wild light up Jets’ Vezina-winning goalie

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This article was published 27/09/2024 (370 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Connor Hellebuyck waited for what he felt would be the perfect time to get the preseason underway, opting to be a spectator for the first three games played by the Winnipeg Jets.

We’re not sure what went down Friday night in St. Paul was what the reigning Vezina Trophy winner had in mind.

Hellebuyck was beaten on the first shot he faced 92 seconds into the game, then watched seven more pucks get by him during a stunning second period as the Minnesota Wild cruised to a 8-5 victory.

This had the potential to a one-sided affair, given Winnipeg left most of its regulars at home in favour of a younger, more inexperienced lineup than Minnesota. It was surprising how quickly this one went from a tightly contested battle (1-1 after 20 minutes) to a blowout (8-2 after 40 minutes).

Fun fact: Friday marked the nine-year anniversary of a 8-1 loss in Minnesota in which then coach Paul Maurice — furious that the Wild had its top power play unit out late in the contest — sarcastically said “it was just an honour to be in the same building with them tonight.”

There was no such bite from Scott Arniel after this one, but the new bench boss will have plenty of material to work with as he and his staff look to make a large swath of roster cuts this weekend.

Winnipeg is now 1-2-1 in the preseason.

1) WHAT THE HELLY? On the bright side, maybe Hellebuyck got this one out of his system. Better now than when it really counts, right?

He never really seemed comfortable in his crease and was routinely fighting the puck and his positioning. The original plan was to play him the full 60 minutes, but he got the hook after two periods. His final numbers were 29 shots against, 21 saves.

Thomas Milic finished off the third and stopped all six shots he faced.

Look for Hellebuyck to play most, if not all, of the final two preseason games next week to try and fine tune the details that didn’t look quite right on this night.

2) PERFETTI POUNCES: Cole Perfetti — fresh off signing his two-year contract extension earlier this week — looked sharp in his debut.

He scored a nice power play goal midway through the first period, finishing off a play that began with a a strong Nikita Chibrikov forecheck and a solid Alex Iafallo net drive, and then added an assist later in the game.

He played on a line with Alex Iafallo and Brad Lambert. Expect his next outing to include likely linemates Nikolaj Ehlers and Vlad Namestnikov, who sat out this game.

3) FORWARD FOCUS: There’s plenty of competition to fill out a few forward spots on Winnipeg’s roster, and this game included most contenders.

None of Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Mason Shaw, Dominic Toninato, Rasmus Kupari or Colby Barlow really stood out. Barlow, for example, had an egregious giveaway that quickly ended up in the back of Winnipeg’s net.

After a strong game Wednesday against Edmonton, Brad Lambert had a bit of a quiet outing while matched up against stiffer competition, taking a slashing penalty on his first shift that led to Minnesota’s first goal and going minus-two in just over 18 minutes of ice time, winning 7-of-15 faceoffs.

One exception was Chibrikov, who followed up his nifty helper with a goal of his own in the third period, ripping a wicked one-timer past Marc-Andre Fleury with his team on a two-man advantage. He was very noticeable. So, too, was Brayden Yager, who scored on a rocket of a shot late in the third period and was dangerous offensively all game.

Morgan Barron added another late tally to make the final a bit more respectable.

4) BLUE-LINE BATTLE: Ville Heinola and Logan Stanley were supposed to be battling for the same job in Winnipeg’s starting six. Instead, both players are now out at least a month after undergoing surgery this week. Heinola (infected ankle) was joined by Stanley (torn meniscus), which now creates some unexpected competition on the back-end.

Friday’s game included contenders Haydn Fleury, Dylan Coghlan and Elias Salomonsson.

While all had some rough moments, Fleury — who is the favourite to start the year on the third pair with Colin Miller — made a nice play to set up Mason Appleton for Winnipeg’s second goal. Coghlan also had a helper.

5) EXTRA, EXTRA: Winnipeg went 2-for-6 the power play while surrendering two shorthanded goals. Minnesota went 2-for-3.

Joel Eriksson Ek (two goals, three assists), Kirill Kaprizov (two goals) and Mats Zuccarello (one goal, one assist) led the way for the Wild.

Iafallo, Toninato and Neal Pionk all served as assistant captains in this game with Winnipeg’s actual leadership group of Adam Lowry Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele sitting out.

The Jets will take today off and return to practice on Sunday. They are expected to get down to a single group. With 41 players currently in camp, including the injured Stanley and Heinola, a number of cuts are coming.

Winnipeg finishes the preseason with a home-and-home against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday and Friday.

6) BIG GESTURE FOR LITTLE: Bryan Little is coming home. The longtime Jets forward will sign a one-day contact with the organization to officially retire from the NHL. The symbolic gesture will take place Oct. 20, with Little honoured that day as the Jets host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Canada Life Centre.

Little was the 12th-overall pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2006 NHL Draft and played all of his 843 NHL games as a member of the Thrashers/Jets organization. He had 521 points (217G, 304A).

Little’s career ended in 2019 when he suffered a catastrophic ear/head injury after being struck by an errant shot off the stick of Ehlers. His remaining contract was eventually traded to the Arizona Coyotes — allowing the Jets to bank cap space they used for other moves — before it officially expired at the end of last season.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg