Things I May Have Tweeted

I'll admit that it was hard watching Connor Hellebuyck struggle through nine periods of hockey in St. Louis. Tonight, it felt like the roof may cave in on the Jets once again as it seemed like a couple of softies got by the expected-Vezina Tropy winner for this season. Yet once that improbable goal was scored by Cole Perfetti with three seconds left in the game to tie the contest at 3-3, it was like a switch went off for Hellebuyck in overtime as he was absolutely stellar in the extra periods needed to find a winner. However, no one expected this game to get to overtime after it seemed like Hellebuyck was doomed to another first-round exit.

As I was lamenting another summer of hearing how Connor Hellebuyck can't win the big game, I began tweeting about some of the history that Hellebuyck seemed destined to make before Namestnikov's and Perfetti's magic in the final two minutes of the game. There is no doubt that Connor Hellebuyck is one of the best netminders in the game, but his playoff record leaves something to be desired. That's where I began tweeting because he nearly became the outlier of a very exclusive club tonight.

Only three times since 1982, when the Vezina Trophy was first awarded to the league's best goaltender, have the three nominees in a single year not advanced past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If you're doing the math, that's three times in 43 years of the Vezina being given to the top puck-stopper. Had Hellebuyck lost tonight, it would have been four times in 43 years as both Darcy Kuemper and Andrei Vasilevskiy had their seasons end already.

The three years where this phenomenon happened were:

• 2023 - Ullmark (BOS), Sorokin (NYI), Hellebuyck (WPG).
• 2010 - Miller (BUF), Bryzgalov (PHX), Brodeur (NJD).
• 1994 - Hasek (BUF), Vanbiesbrouck (FLA), Roy (MTL).

If you're reading that list, there are some goaltending legends who fell into these years where the best goaltending couldn't help his team escape the opening round, and that's what would have made Hellebuyck the outlier as he would have been the only goaltender to do it twice. When names like Hasek, Roy, and Brodeur are on that list, it's proof that even the best stoppers don't always win.

Of course, the Jets won tonight thanks to the Adam Lowry deflection in double-overtime to eliminate the Blues, and Hellebuyck ensures that at least one of this year's nominees will play in the second round. Had the Jets lost, Vasilevskiy would have joined the legends on that list, and Hellebuyck, as stated above, would be the first goalie to have that distinction twice. I'm not certain anyone wants to be part of this list, but I can almost guarantee it would irk Connor Hellebuyck something fierce if he was on it twice.

I had also tweeted that had the Jets lost tonight, they would have been the ninth Presidents' Trophy-winning team to be punted from the playoffs in the opening round. The eight teams that had lost in the opening round of the playoffs were the 2022-23 Boston Bruins, the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2011-12 Vancouver Canucks, the 2009-10 Washington Capitals, the 2008-09 San Jose Sharks, the 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings, the 1999-00 St. Louis Blues, and the 1990-91 Chicago Blackhawks. Of those teams, only the Canucks, Blues, and Blackhawks had less points than the Jets did this season.

Of course, the last team to win the Presidents' Trophy and hoist the Stanley Cup were the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks who did so in a shortened season, and the last team to play a full season, win the Presidents' Trophy, and finish with a Stanley Cup parade were the 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings who finished with 115 points and a .701 points percentage. For comparison purposes, Winnipeg finished with 116 points this season for a .707 points percentage.

No one is planning parade routes in Winnipeg at this point after the Jets escaped a brutally physical series with the Blues, but perhaps that was the challenge the Jets needed to put them into a different mentality as they look forward to a series with the punishing Dallas Stars. If overtime was any indication, Connor Hellebuyck was laser-focused once again after struggling through most of this series, but we'll see how the Jets lineup against the Stars on Wednesday. As they say, nothing will be given. Everything will be earned.

It was a history-erasing night for the Winnipeg Jets and their goaltender as they avoided an early elimination. Four wins are in the books, twelve more are needed, and the Jets will look for a fifth win on Wednesday night against the Stars. No one will be looking to add his name to or keep his name out of the history books on that night when the Jets and Stars meet. It will strictly be about winning that first game and grabbing the early lead in the series!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!