Helly notches win 300

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This article was published 07/01/2025 (268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The wait is finally over and Connor Hellebuyck has taken another step into the rarefied air.

By turning aside 26 shots in Tuesday’s 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, the Winnipeg Jets netminder became just the 30th goaltender in NHL history to record 300 wins and 40 shutouts.

This latest milestone is one that Hellebuyck identified earlier this season when he played in his 500th game.

“The anticipation was killing me a little bit,” said Hellebuyck, who made 26 saves in his 538th NHL game and 529th start. “The guys played so hard in front of me and the crowd was incredible. That’s a very memorable one.”

It’s memorable for good reason as Hellebuyck became the third-fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 300 wins (behind Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the great Jacques Plante).

“For the longest time I was just playing. Taking it day-by-day, having fun, working hard and trying to get better,” said Hellebuyck. “As you get a little older in this league and things start to happen and you start to achieve some things, that kind of sets in and you start to realize that you’re doing some great things. I’ve been grateful to be part of this great organization and have had a lot of these guys around me the entire time.

“I know it’s not just me, it’s a whole team and a whole organization that helps.”

The Jets, who snapped a three-game losing streak, improved to 28-12-2 on the season and are back in action on Friday against the Los Angeles Kings.

After he was named the first star of the contest and came out to be serenaded by the fans inside Canada Life Centre, Hellebuyck expressed his jubilation by pointing to the crest on his jersey.

“I was trying to share the moment with the fans. At the heart of our game, we’re kind of entertainers,” said Hellebuyck. “Everyone that was in the crowd, I was trying to give them a piece of that emotion that I was feeling.”

Hellebuyck delivered a first half that was Vezina-worthy and also has him in the discussion for the Hart Trophy. His 33rd start of the season was an impressive way to begin the second half.

“You can only say it so many times, he’s the best goalie in the world,” said Jets forward Cole Perfetti. “We’re the only team that has the luxury of saying that, that we play in front of the best goalie in the world. We have his support and his play speaks for itself.

“It’s hard to come up with new ways to say it, other than he’s the best goalie in the world. Nothing rattles him.”

THE INJURY

While the Jets were more than happy to get back to their winning ways, the victory came at a cost as star defenceman Josh Morrissey left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury.

Just under seven minutes into the second period, Morrissey collided with teammate Mark Scheifele in the defensive zone and his leg crashed awkwardly into the post around the knee area.

Morrissey went down the tunnel for further examination after his shift ended and made his way back to the bench a few minutes later.

After taking a quick twirl during a broadcast timeout, Morrissey went out for one shift but was moving around a bit gingerly and went back down the tunnel.

This time he didn’t return.

Jets head coach Scott Arniel didn’t have much of an update after the game, but losing Morrissey for any length of time would be a big blow to a defence corps whose depth is being severely tested.

Morrissey, who finished with 14 shifts for 12:24 of ice time, is up to five goals and 38 points in 42 games this season after blasting home a slapper to give the Jets a 2-0 lead in the first period.

Fellow blue-liner Dylan Samberg shed his non-contact jersey for the morning skate on Tuesday, so there’s a chance he could be ready to return to the Jets’ lineup for one of the games this weekend.

The Jets are also without D-men Colin Miller, who is out for at least two weeks with a fractured larynx, and Haydn Fleury, who remains week-to-week with a lower-body injury and just resumed skating in a non-contact jersey.

THE KILL

After Logan Stanley received a double minor for catching Jonathan Marchessault with a high stick and Kyle Connor was given a hooking minor, the Jets had to come through on the penalty kill, nullifying a five-on-three that lasted one minute and 26 seconds during the third period.

“Our PK was fantastic,” said Hellebuyck. “(The Predators) got buzzing a little bit, but it felt like we kept them to the outside and allowed my sightlines and (we) blocked some really big shots, and the few shots they got, I was able to get in front of.

“It took everyone, that’s for sure.”

The Jets went six-for-seven on the penalty kill in the contest and that’s an area the Jets have identified that requires improvement.

“There’s been stretches where it’s been really good, and there’s been stretches where we’ve given up goals at key times,” said Jets captain Adam Lowry. “There have been signs where it looks like it’s on the right track, and then we regress.”

GETTING A LEG UP

In the latest battle of the Barron brothers, Morgan got the Jets on the board after a persistent shift from the fourth line.

Rasmus Kupari got the puck to the net and Barron jammed away at it until it finally squirted loose and went into the net off the stick of Predators D-man Nick Blankenberg.

It was Barron’s fourth goal of the campaign.

Brother Justin took one minor penalty but didn’t have any points for the Predators.

THE KEY PLAY

After seeing their lead cut to 4-2, the Jets manage to kill off a lengthy five-on-three disadvantage with just over five minutes to go in regulation to seal the game.

THE THREE STARS

1. Connor Hellebuyck: Jets, 26 saves in his 300th NHL victory.
2. Dylan DeMelo: Jets, One assist, five hits, three blocked shots and a team-high 25:27 of ice time.
3. Roman Josi: Predators, One goal, two points, five shots on goal.

EXTRA, EXTRA

The Jets power play struck for the first time in three games as Nikolaj Ehlers made a perfect feed in front to Gabe Vilardi. That goal extended the Jets lead to 4-1 and was the 19th marker of the campaign for Vilardi, who has 10 with the man-advantage (which leads the team).

Kyle Connor (with his team-leading 23rd) and Nino Niederreiter (into the empty net) rounded out the scoring for the Jets, who got two assists from Mark Scheifele (which gave him 48 points in 42 games).

The Jets lone healthy scratch was forward Dominic Toninato.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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