Hellebuyck Approaches Franchise Records
Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves to post his fifth shutout of the season and help the Central Division-leading Jets (31-13-9, 71 points) extend their point streak to seven contests (5-0-2). Winnipeg moved within one point of the idle Golden Knights (34-13-4, 72 points) for first place in the Western Conference.
Hellebuyck established a career high with his 27th win of the season (27-6-8 in 43 GP), second among all goaltenders behind Andrei Vasilevskiy (31). Only two goaltenders in Jets/Thrashers franchise history have posted more wins in a season: Kari Lehtonen (34) in 2006-07 in Atlanta and Ondrej Pavelec (29) in 2011-12 in Winnipeg.
[pb_vidembed title=”” caption=”” url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXmbQNvJA68″ type=”yt” w=”480″ h=”385″]
Hellebuyck shares second in the NHL with five shutouts in 2017-18, equaling Pavelec (5 in 2014-15; 50 GP) for the most in one season by a Jets/Thrashers goaltender. Hellebuyck extended his home point streak to eight games (7-0-1) and improved to 18-1-2 in 22 contests at Bell MTS Place in 2017-18 (2.00 GAA, .933 SV%, 4 SO).
Only eight goaltenders in NHL history have finished a season with fewer than two regulation losses at home (min. 20 GP at home), with Patrick Roy standing as the only goaltender to play at least 20 home games in a season without recording a regulation loss on home ice (in 1988-89 w/ MTL; 30 GP). The others each had one regulation loss at home: Ken Dryden in 1976-77 w/ MTL (27 GP), Richard Sevigny in 1980-81 w/ MTL (24 GP), Bob Froese in 1985-86 w/ PHI (24 GP), Rick Wamsley in 1989-90 w/ CGY (21 GP), Chris Osgood in 1995-96 w/ DET (26 GP), Marty Turco in 2002-03 w/ DAL (29 GP) and Niklas Backstrom in 2006-07 w/ MIN (20 GP).
· Capitals forward T.J. Oshie fined for cross-checking
· Former “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” actor does ‘The Carlton’ before dropping puck
· Casey Cizikas honored to represent Islanders in Hockey Is For Everyone month
· NHL players take Super Bowl sides
* Information provided via NHL Press Release
National Hockey League Press Release. Information provided from the NHL that describes various news releases that describe current events in the league.