The Winnipeg Jets will Live and Die with Connor Hellebuyck
The Winnipeg Jets are one game away from the Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately, so are the Nashville Predators. There is but one more game for these teams to finish things off.
The Winnipeg Jets / Atlanta Thrashers have never reached the Conference Finals in their nineteen year history, but that doesn’t matter now. The Nashville Predators reached – and conquered – the Conference finals just last season. But that doesn’t matter now either. All that matters is who can win Game 7.
Offense was always a strength of this Winnipeg Jets team, as only one team (Tampa Bay Lightning) outpaced them during the regular season. As you may be keenly aware, the postseason is an entirely different animal.
Out of second round teams, they’re fourth of eight competitors in goals per game. That’s…fine. Not great, not bad. It’s adequate. Offense just isn’t going to win you games in the playoffs the way in can in the regular season.
Connor Hellebuyck, however, can. He has, actually. They’ve been living and dying with him here in the playoffs. And I know, most teams live and die with their goaltending. If your netminder is bad, you will most likely lose the game. That’s not difficult to understand.
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But this is telling: In games that Hellebuyck has allowed more than two (!) goals, the Winnipeg Jets are 1-3. Their record in the games where he’s let in two or fewer: 6-1. That’s a pretty substantial gap. You always knew playoff games were tight, and yes, defensive breakdowns still happen in the postseason. But far less frequently. It’s often on the netminder’s shoulders, fair or not.
Connor Hellebuyck has done his fair share of carrying the Winnipeg Jets. And while carrying them for one more game is necessary, we’ll continue to ask more of him.
This is the only series that hasn’t yet been decided. Tampa Bay and Washington will face off Friday, regardless of the outcome of this game. Vegas awaits its winner. They await whoever is better, Connor Hellebuyck or Pekka Rinne. Remember, Rinne’s already been pulled twice in this series.
Not that, y’know, I would bank on Rinne being pulled. In five of twelve games, however, he’s allowed four goals or more. That’s, uh, bad. It’s not debatable that Connor Hellebuyck has been better in the playoffs. But, like I said, that doesn’t matter now. He has to be better Thursday.
It has been such a run for this team, for a country that hasn’t won a Cup in about a quarter century. Winnipeg hasn’t even won the Grey Cup since 1990 and there’s only nine teams. Come on. This city needs it.
And like it or not, they may not get it. It’s coming, though. If not this year, then maybe the next. The window is open. But first, the Winnipeg Jets will live or die with Connor Hellebuyck.