Hellebuyck the seventh G to ever record 45 wins in a season
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Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck further boosted his Hart Trophy case Thursday with a shutout performance in a key game against the Dallas Stars.
Hellebuyck turned aside 25 shots as he recorded his franchise-record 45th win of the season, becoming just the seventh goaltender to ever hit the mark in a single season.
“It seems every night the last month or so he’s been accomplishing a new record," Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey said of Hellebuyck. "You honestly can’t put into words how important he is to our team, what he does day in and day out. As a teammate of his, I feel extremely lucky that I’ve gotten to play in front of him basically my entire career. What he does in terms of preparation, the way he’s always figuring out ways to improve his game, is incredible.
"Even in the last few years, you think, ‘Man, I don’t know if this guy can get any better,’ and then he finds a way to. Really lucky to have him, and what he’s doing this year is very special.”
The 4-0 win, which marked Hellebuyck's eighth shutout of the campaign, essentially locked up the Western Conference for the Jets, who are now six points clear of the Stars with three games remaining for both teams.
The Stars appear to be locked in to facing the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, while the Jets will most likely face the lower of the two wild-card seeds. The two teams would meet in the second round should both advance. Winnipeg owns a 3-1-0 record against the Stars this season.
“We’ve struggled with them all year. They’re the best defensive team in the League. Their record is where it’s at because of that,” Stars forward Matt Duchene said. “I thought we did a lot of good things. Our work ethic was good, some traffic shots, but they were one and done a little too much. Breakdowns that ended up in our net. It’s not like they were dominating us all night. I don’t think it was a 4-0 type game by any means. It felt like a 2-1 either side. I think the last two games [here] are steps in the right direction of where we want to get to, as funny as that sounds.”
Hellebuyck improved his record to 45-12-3 and he continues to lead the NHL with a .925 save percentage and a 1.99 goals-against average. His eight shutouts are also a league-high.
The 31-year-old is considered a lock to win his third Vezina Trophy this season, but claiming the Hart Trophy is also a possibility. Hellebuyck is -20,000 to win the Vezina at Fanduel, while Leon Draisaitl is the betting favourite for the Hart at -145, with Hellebuyck second at +110. Nikita Kucherov is listed third at +4100 and Nathan MacKinnon is behind him at +4900.
With the top seed in the Western Conference just one point away from being clinched, it's unclear how many more starts Hellebuyck will see this season. The Jets visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday before returning home to face the Edmonton Oilers Sunday and then will close out their campaign on Wednesday in Winnipeg against the Anaheim Ducks.
The NHL record for wins in a season is 48, accomplished by Braden Holtby with the Washington Capitals in 2015-16 and Martin Brodeur with the New Jersey Devils in 2006-07.