For a team that has been continuously applauded for their ability to bounce back from a loss this season, the Winnipeg Jets fell flat trying to replicate that in Game 4. A 5-1 loss to the Blues evened the series up at two, as Hellebuyck was pulled for a second straight game.
Connor Hellebuyck pulled for the second straight game
Things move very quickly in the NHL. Just over one week ago, everyone in Winnipeg was casting their proverbial Hart Trophy ballot for Connor Hellebuyck. Now, some are asking if he should start in Game 5.
Fair or not, Hellebuyck has now been pulled in back-to-back games. Sunday afternoon’s game saw him allow five goals on 18 shots.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
That said, it’s not all on Hellebuyck. The Jets’ defensive coverage was very uncharacteristic in this game, allowing a handful of chances off the rush and well-screened point shots.
In the two games on the road, we have seen plenty of screened shots beat Hellebuyck, very reminiscent of last year’s quick exit to the Colorado Avalanche.
Hellebuyck’s numbers in the playoffs as of late are far from the eye-popping numbers he posted in the regular season. They dip even further on the road, as Sportsnet Stats posted on X, Hellebuyck is 1-8-0 in his last 9 road playoff games with a goals against average of 4.58 and a save percentage of .861.
Despite the struggles, Scott Arniel remains confident in his goaltender and directs his concern towards the way the team played in front of him.
“I’m 100% confident in Connor Hellebuyck. His resume speaks for itself,” Scott Arniel said. “At the end of the day, we need to be better in front of him.”
Jets are struggling to generate offence
Gabriel Vilardi was close to playing in this game, as he took the warmup, but ultimately was scratched. You can likely pencil him in for a return to the lineup in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
While defensive coverage was the focus, and it should be, the Jets did not generate enough offence in the two games in St. Louis.
Winnipeg opened the series scoring five goals in game one, and has scored a combined five goals in the three games since.
Kyle Connor opened the scoring in what was Winnipeg’s best first period of the series, and Connor’s third goal in four games, but they failed to add to their score for the remainder of the game.
The power play let them down this series, going 2/12 so far. If there is one specific area where Gabriel Vilardi can add some firepower and contribute hugely, a few extra power-play goals would go a long way to helping the Jets find their footing in this series.
Best of three to decide the series
The Jets will now return home to Canada Life Centre for Game 5 on Wednesday. Two days between games almost certainly means we will see Gabriel Vilardi for the Jets on Wednesday.
Arniel stressed that his group fought 82 games during the regular season to have home-ice advantage, and this is a spot where they will need to use it.
Mark Scheifele took the same approach.
“It’s a best two out of three series,” Mark Scheifele said. “We know we have home ice. We have two days to re-group and then be back in front of our fans. It’s not what we wanted, but it’s a best two out of three series now.”
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
There will be plenty of pressure on the Winnipeg Jets to bring their best in Game 5 and for Connor Hellebuyck to raise his level of play as well.
Stay tuned to Illegalcurve.com for the latest Jets news and analysis over the coming days, and tune into the pregame and postgame show on YouTube on Wednesday.
