Nothing fishy about Hellebuyck's dominance as he hits 300th win for Jets

WINNIPEG — On a night that was supposed to be all about him, Connor Hellebuyck made it about them. 

Fresh off recording his 300th career win, the 31-year-old Winnipeg Jets goalie came out for a victory lap after being named the first star in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators. He walked out of the Jets tunnel, holding a wooden signed stick that he’d later give to a fan, and held his hands up high while gliding around.

Then, Hellebuyck grabbed the crest of his jersey and flailed the Jets logo around as he skated around the ice. It was a tribute to a fanbase that holds him dear. And a community he’s become firmly cemented in. 

“They’ve been with us through the start of this,” Hellebuyck said. “Everyone that was in the crowd tonight, I was trying to give them a piece of that emotion that I was feeling.” 

Hellebuyck’s love for the NHL’s smallest market is old news around these parts.

He appreciates the franchise’s unwavering loyalty to its core, something that many view as a detriment. He’s a simple man, one who is more concerned with ice fishing and hunting than he is with the glitz and glamour that other cities offer. In other places, Hellebuyck may not be the most “marketable” player. But his personality is one that the city of Winnipeg can (and has) gotten behind. How many other franchises would flash a walleye — on the electric advertising panel that splits the upper and lower bowl — when their goalie makes a big save? 

“He very much embraces Winnipeg, and I think Winnipeg embraces him,” Jets forward Morgan Barron said. “That’s really cool to see, the connection that such a great player has with such a great city.”

Similar to how this city fell in love with Teemu Selanne in the 1990s, Hellebuyck is starting to hold a special place in the hearts of Jets fans. We’re not just talking about a star player who's keeping the franchise relevant. We’re talking about a player who could very well bring a parade down to Portage and Main. 

In a league where workhorse goaltenders are few and far between and tandems have become more prevalent, Hellebuyck is an outlier. A generational talent. 

“These guys, they only come around every so often,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel said, citing the likes of Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy and Henrik Lundqvist as other goalies who have dominated their respective eras. “He's one of those guys.”

Wednesday was yet another instance, with Hellebuyck shutting the door on several Grade-A chances while backstopping a Jets blueline that lost Josh Morrissey mid-game and was already without Dylan Samberg and Haydn Fleury. Ten of his 26 saves came on the penalty kill. 

“That's the greatness that you see,” Arniel said.

When you zoom out, Hellebuyck’s brilliance is even more eyebrow-raising.

Take this into account: Hellebuyck reached the 300-win and 40-shutout mark in just 529 starts. The only goalie to achieve that milestone quicker was Jacques Plante, who reached it after 521 starts. 

And although he may be 10 years into his career, it almost feels like Hellebuyck’s best days are ahead of him. That may be hard to believe when looking at a 31-year-old goaltender, but Hellebuyck isn’t cut from the same cloth as most. 

He’s stubborn in the best of ways. After posting a dreadful statline in last year's playoffs — registering an .870 save percentage and a 5.23 goals-against average — Hellebuyck infamously proclaimed that he felt like he had played some of the best hockey in his career during that series. He went on to explain how a lot of those goals were a byproduct of breakdowns in front of him. He wasn’t wrong. And he didn’t backpedal from those comments when he arrived at training camp this year, reaffirming his belief in his own process. 

“That's just his drive. How he prepares. I think that he looked at a lot of what happened last year. I know he's talked to lots of people — (goaltending coach Wade Flaherty), myself — and there's been lots of conversations and that's what he's talked about. There's things that he knows, when he's doing well, he's unbeatable,” Arniel said.

Regular-season success may not convince many that Hellebuyck could propel the Jets to a championship, but what he’s doing this year is unlike anything we’ve seen from a goalie in the modern NHL.

Not only does he lead the league in wins (25), save percentage (.926) and goals-against average (2.08), but according to NaturalStatTrick.com, Hellebuyck ranks first in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (0.84), goals saved above average per 60 (0.73) and high-danger save percentage (.858) among goalies who have played at least 20 games.

That’s Hart Trophy-worthy. And when you have a Hart Trophy-calibre talent in net, you’ve got a chance to hoist Lord Stanley.

Regardless, it’s safe to say that the Jets will be adding another statue in True North Square one day.

The Stanley Situation

Injuries may leave the Jets with little choice to play Logan Stanley, but they certainly shouldn’t be playing him 20-plus minutes a night.

While logging a career-high 23:26 minutes, Stanley struggled mightily on the Jets second pair alongside Neal Pionk. And that’s putting it lightly. 

When the six-foot-seven defender was on the ice, the five-on-five shot attempt share was 34-17 (!!) in Nashville’s favour. He directly contributed to both goals scored against when he was on the ice. The first came moments after he made a weak clear-out attempt on the penalty kill. The second goal deflected off the back of his skate and in. It was a preventable play. While focusing on Gustav Nyquist, who was situated to the left of Hellebuyck, Stanley turned his back to his goaltender and Roman Josi, who ultimately scored off the point shot. 

He also took a double high-sticking minor midway through the third period. 

Even If Morrissey misses Friday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Kings and Samberg isn’t ready by then, the Jets would be making a grave mistake if they kept Stanley in the top four. What kind of message does that send to someone like Ville Heinola — an imperfect player, too, although he played well alongside Dylan Coghlan — if he continues to receive heavy minutes, after a performance like last game?

Aside from those mistakes, even the simplest of sequences — be it a routine retrieval, a breakout pass or a net-front box out — have been a struggle for Stanley. And for what it’s worth, he hasn’t been nearly physical enough to offset his shortcomings. 

Once Winnipeg is at full health, Haydn Fleury should get an extended look as the sixth defenceman. He’s above and beyond the most reliable option over both Heinola and Stanley. And although Arniel has talked about how Stanley won’t get any better by sitting in the press box, the same could be said for Fleury, a player that — barring any deadline additions — this team is going to need in the playoffs.