Despite his .897 save percentage over the initial two games of the playoffs, it`s inaccurate to say Connor Hellebuyck is performing poorly.
The goaltender, a recipient of “M—V—P” chants during the regular season, has been instrumental with critical saves for the Winnipeg Jets in their opening-round series against the St. Louis Blues.
In a tightly contested series such as this, evaluating a goalie solely by their save percentage can be misleading. Hellebuyck has faced only 39 shots total across the two games, which poses a challenge for a netminder who typically thrives and finds his rhythm when facing a higher volume of shots.
Nevertheless, he has delivered several saves that have altered the course of the games.
Specifically, Hellebuyck made crucial stops early in Game 2. He denied several high-danger scoring chances from the Blues, which was vital in keeping the game scoreless during the first period.
Kyle Connor commented after the Jets secured a 2-0 series lead on Monday, saying that Hellebuyck “kind of settled us into the game there.”
Tristan Blackwood