Connor Hellebuyck stopped 29 shots to secure his league-leading sixth shutout of the season, leading the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.
Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers each contributed a goal and an assist, Kyle Connor scored his team-high 36th goal, and Mathieu Perreault also found Winnipeg’s back of the net.
Hellebuyck, who tied his career-best shutout mark from the 2017-18 season, kept the Golden Knights at bay, aided by three shots hitting the posts.
“It’s a great milestone, but it’s really a testament to how well the guys in front of me have been playing,” Hellebuyck said. “When we bring it, we know we can shut teams down, and tonight was a good example of that.”
This win marked the second game of a three-game homestand for the Jets, who have now won five straight at home, improving their record to 19-14-3 at Bell MTS Place.
“That felt like a typical Winnipeg game,” Hellebuyck said. “When the crowd gets into it like that, it’s easy to get momentum and really push the pace. I’m just enjoying every moment.”
Marc-Andre Fleury made 20 saves for Vegas in the loss.
“Creating desperation is tough,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said. “That’s a desperate team over there fighting for points. Maybe we didn’t feel the same urgency, which would be a mistake.”
The Jets jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first period, starting with Ehlers’ goal just 32 seconds into the game. Ehlers’ attempted pass to Laine in front deflected off Vegas forward Ryan Reaves’ stick and into the net, with Laine earning an assist.
“Playing against Vegas is tough; they’re a really good team,” Laine said. “Getting points against them is huge because every point matters now.”
Laine extended the lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal at 4:41, pouncing on a rebound from Neil Pionk’s shot and firing it past Fleury.
Later in the first, Jack Roslovic intercepted a pass in his own zone, skated down the ice, and set up Connor, who beat Fleury to make it 3-0 at 18:10. It was Connor’s fifth consecutive game with a goal.
“(The Jets’ start) was the game,” DeBoer said. “They played like they were fighting for their playoff lives, and we didn’t. The game was over after the first period.”
Perreault added a fourth goal during a second-period power play, capitalizing on a loose puck in front of the net.
“We started to clean things up in the second, but the first period was unacceptable,” DeBoer said. “When you’re playing desperate teams with great goaltending, it’s hard to come back from a hole like that.”
Game Notes:
- Perreault returned to the lineup after missing three games due to an upper-body injury.
- A moment of silence was observed before the game to honor Montreal Canadiens legend Henri Richard, who died at the age of 84.
UP NEXT:
- Golden Knights: Visit Edmonton on Monday night.
- Jets: Host Arizona on Monday night.
