WINNIPEG —Connor Hellebuyck states that his self-assurance remains unbroken despite being substituted in the Winnipeg Jets’ past two postseason defeats.
Hellebuyck, who was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy on Monday, stated to journalists that he feels positive about his mental state as they head into Wednesday’s Game 5 at home against St. Louis.
After thrashing the Jets 5-1 on Sunday and 7-2 last Thursday in St. Louis, the Blues leveled the Western Conference best-of-seven opening-round series at 2-2.
“You may not enjoy allowing so many goals, but we’re tied 2-2 in the series. At this point, only the win counts. Make sure you get the next one,” Hellebuyck stated following his decision along with most of his teammates not to participate in Monday’s optional practice session.
Will I improve? Absolutely, I will get better. I have dedicated an immense amount of effort to studying goaltending. In fact, I might be the one who has put in the most study time globally on this subject. Therefore, I understand exactly what needs to be done and how to achieve my peak performance. That’s what excites me.
In the final frame of the team’s previous two defeats, Backup Eric Comrie stepped in for Hellebuyck and allowed only one goal during last Thursday’s game.
Hellebuyck is in contention for the NHL’s top goaltender award alongside Darcy Kuemper from the Los Angeles Kings and Andrei Vasilevskiy from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The native of Commerce, Michigan, who currently holds the Vezina Trophy, also won the award in 2020. He was a finalist in both 2018 and 2023.
Hellebuyck recorded career highs in victories (47), clean sheets (eight), goals against average (2.00), and save percentage (.925). This helped Winnipeg conclude the regular season as the top team in the league, securing home-ice advantage by winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
“It would be absurd to play so many regular-season games only to suddenly change things during the playoffs,” Hellebuyck stated.
You don’t play 47 games and then completely change your approach when the playoffs start. I understand what it should look like. There are many aspects I appreciate, so I won’t be making drastic alterations.
Hellebuyck boasts an .817 save percentage along with a 4.24 goals-against average in this particular series.
Winnipeg secured victory in the first two matches played at their venue with scores of 5-3 and 2-1 respectively.
“I felt that in the initial pair of matches, our goalie performance surpassed theirs. However, in the subsequent duo of games, they outperformed us with their goaltending. That says it all,” stated Jets head coach Scott Arniel.
I believe that this is one aspect of a playoff series. Just as with our key players; our leading scorers must outperform the opposing team’s top attackers. Similarly, our hardworking athletes, our core contributors, should surpass theirs.
So here’s the story of two matches. In Game 1 and 2, I felt we dominated those aspects. However, in Games 3 and 4, they took control of those areas.
The Jets’ experienced defenseman, Neal Pionk, stated that the team needs to provide more support for Hellebuyck, which includes deflecting more shots.
Return to fundamentals,” Pionk advised. “First, get your stick ready. Second, attempt to steer opponents away. Allow Helly to view the puck clearly. There were a few unfortunate deflections, but such is life in playoff hockey.
Hellebuyck secured his second successive William M. Jennings Trophy, awarded to the goalkeeper who plays at least 25 games with the team surrendering the lowest number of regular-season goals.
He mentioned that he is mentally ready for whatever comes next.
“I think playoff time, that’s one of the most important attributes you can have, is being strong between the ears,” Hellebuyck said. “You don’t want to go into a game playing with fear. If you play with fear, that’s when you start to actually make mistakes and want things back.
We head out, we play our match, and you keep improving with each shift, every game, and daily. That’s how I approach things from now on, and I’m excited about it.
VILARDI SET TO GO
It seems that top-line winger Gabriel Vilardi might be able to play on Wednesday following his absence from Winnipeg’s last 15 games due to an unspecified upper-body injury sustained on March 23.
Arniel mentioned that Vilardi was approved to play on Sunday. He participated in the warm-up session, but received some additional rest.
“Once he’s ready and authorized, it’s full steam ahead,” Arniel stated.
The Jets will look to seize control of the series on Wednesday as they welcome the Blues to their arena for Game 5.
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— Using material sourced from Technology Staff
