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Hellebuyck, Jets stunned by 'heartbreaking' 1st-round loss to Avalanche – NHL.com
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WINNIPEG — Connor Hellebuyck can be forgiven if he sees flying pucks in his sleep for a while.
The Winnipeg Jets goalie, a four-time finalist for the Vezina Trophy, voted as best at the position in the NHL, is not used to facing the type of offensive onslaught he and the Jets faced at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, whose 6-3 victory Tuesday ousted Winnipeg in five games in the Western Conference First Round.
Hellebuyck, who was second in the NHL in wins (37), third in goals-against average (2.39, minimum 30 games played) and led in save percentage (.921, minimum 30 games played) during the regular season, had those numbers turned inside out by the Avalanche in the first round and described the result as “heartbreaking.”
Hellebuyck was 1-4 with a 5.23 GAA and .870 save percentage during the series, allowing at least four goals in each of the five games against Colorado.
“You’re probably not going to believe when I say, I was playing the best hockey of my career,” Hellebuyck said Thursday at the Jets’ end-of-season media availability. “But that’s truly how I was feeling. Not only was I playing some of my best hockey but I was in that zone where you’re not thinking, you’re just playing … To not be able to keep four goals off the board (in a single game) is heartbreaking. It really is heartbreaking.
“I mean, you’ve got to give them some kudos for what they did, but looking back, I don’t know if I even saw half of the pucks that went into the net. They did a great job, but for me to not be able to put my foot down even in a single game is really heartbreaking. It’s not typically how I do things.”
Hellebuyck, the 2020 Vezina winner and 2024 winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy after Winnipeg allowed a league-best 199 goals against (including shootout-deciding goals), said he needed a mental reset after being pulled following the second period of a 5-1 loss in Game 4.
“Specifically, Game 4 … I was laser-focused,” he said. “From the second I woke up I was ready to steal a game. And this kind of was my mindset going into every single game, but especially in Game 4. And when I got pulled (after allowing four goals on 30 shots) to give me more rest, it was like a flood of emotions I had suppressed all series long, and that was the realization that I can’t do this alone.
“And I’m not saying that I needed to do it alone. That was my mindset; I needed to do this alone. That was the realization; that I need to be part of this team more than I am and to not take everything onto my shoulders — and I’m talking me personally, that’s not me talking against the team — it’s just the way my mentality is, I’m trying to put everything on my shoulders. I don’t think that’s the right way to go about (the) playoffs anymore. I think what I need to do is just dive into a team-game even more, and that will hopefully bring me peace of mind.”
Winnipeg set a modern-era NHL record this season, allowing three goals or less in 34 consecutive games. That memory seemed very far away during this series.
“We’ve taken pride all year in our team game, that’s what carried us, and [Hellebuyck] was a big part of that team game,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said. “It’s an example of a player putting a lot of undue pressure on himself. That he had to make a difference. You get in the playoffs, and we’re watching hockey all of the time, there’s always a game in a playoff series where the team isn’t playing (well) and the goalie steals a game. I think that’s what he is referring to.
“The reason, and I explained after we pulled him in Game 4, we wanted to put a little more onus on the players, ‘OK, we’ve got to tighten this thing up here. We’re not going to rely on him every … game to keep us in there.’ … What matters now is we didn’t do it when it counts most, and that’s when he’s putting a lot of pressure on himself.”
Asked what it was like watching a Jennings-winning team perform the way it did against Colorado, Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said his team may not have taken the proper approach to the postseason.
“I guess it shows you that the playoffs are a different animal,” Cheveldayoff said. “You have to be prepared to try and play any different way to be successful. The other team has got talented players. Us sitting here saying it was all about us would be a disservice to what kind of great players and great team and well-coached and well-managed the organization that we matched up against (is).
“I think back, even when we talked when we made the trades at the (NHL) trade deadline: You’ve done nothing. Until you’re the team standing there at the end, you’ve done nothing. The onus is on everybody within the organization to be that 10 percent better.”
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The Florida Panthers have drawn first blood in the NHL Stanley Cup Final with a commanding performance. Carter Verhaeghe fired up the Panthers with a goal on their first shot of the game, leading to a decisive 3-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena.
Evan Rodrigues added to the tally with his fourth goal of the playoffs, capitalizing on a dump-and-chase play that left Oilers’ defensemen Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci scrambling. Rodrigues found himself wide open in front of the net and sent the puck soaring over goaltender Stuart Skinner’s shoulder, making it 2-0 in the second period.
Forward Eetu Luostarinen sealed the deal with an empty net goal late in the third period, finalizing the score at 3-0.
The Panthers will look to maintain their momentum in Game 2 of the seven-game series, which takes place Monday in Sunrise, Fla. at 6 p.m.
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The New York Rangers took a stranglehold on the Carolina Hurricanes with a 3-0 lead in their second-round series thanks to a 3-2 overtime win on Thursday night.
It was an absolute heartbreaker for the Hurricanes, who tied things up with 1:36 to go in the third period, to the absolute delight of their raucous home crowd in Raleigh. But fewer than two minutes into overtime, Artemi Panarin deflected one in to give New York the win, sucking the air out of PNC Arena.
This is the seventh straight win for New York, who are perfect these playoffs after sweeping Washington in Round 1.
Carolina badly outshot New York for the third straight game, and got nothing in return for its efforts. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin was again his team’s best player.
Here are our takeaways from New York’s incredible seventh straight playoff win:
Good start for the Canes, Guentzel heating up
This game felt promising for Carolina early on, and it was Jake Guentzel who gave the Hurricanes the 1-0 lead midway through the first, tipping in a Dmitry Orlov point shot.
The Caniac fans lost it and the smoke machines went off after that, and PNC Arena was rocking.
The 29-year-old Guentzel is heating up, as he’s been known to do this time of year, with three goals in the last two games. He now has 65 points in 65 career playoff games.
Bad blood
There was a bit of an on-ice rumble late in the first, and it resulted in four penalties — two for each team.
It started when Rangers centre Barclay Goodrow skated in hard and gave Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov a poke on the glove, and that set everybody off. Jimmy Vesey went after Orlov. Goodrow starting yapping at the Hurricanes bench, who had plenty to say back. A bunch of skirmishes went on, and then Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Vesey threw their gloves down to fight, but the refs quickly broke that up.
During a TV timeout, Hurricanes defender Tony DeAngelo dropped his gloves while he was standing in front of his bench, yelling at a bunch of Rangers standing in front of their bench.
Tensions were high.
Big test for Kochetkov
After two straight losses to open this series, the Hurricanes opted to give Frederik Andersen a rest, and turned to Kochetkov.
It marked Kochetkov’s first game this post-season, and his second playoff start ever. The 24-year-old Russian netminder hadn’t started a game since April 14.
He wasn’t tested a whole lot early, but Kochetkov came up with some big saves in the game, including a beautiful poke-check on Filip Chytil, who returned to New York’s lineup after being out with an injury since January.
Kochetkov gave his team a chance to win on Thursday, and had 22 saves in the loss.
Shorty equalizer
As if the Hurricanes power play wasn’t woeful enough — 0-14 in this series so far — the Rangers tied things up in the second period while a man down.
Off a broken play, Mika Zibanejad picked up the puck off the boards and headed up the left wing, while Chris Kreider drove to the net like a rocket. Zibanejad hit him with a nice little saucer pass, which Kreider deflected off his backhand to beat Kochetkov five-hole.
Kreider then launched himself into the glass in celebration — a 32-inch vertical, as measured by Sportsnet’s Hockey Central panel. None of the Carolina fans in those front rows liked that jump one bit.
Kreider now has three goals in the last two games.
Quick release go-ahead goal
Panarin fought off a check and managed to shovel a backhand pass over to Alexis Lafreniere, and the 22-year-old got his wrist shot off immediately, firing it through the legs of the defender, and into the top corner, glove side, to give the Rangers their first lead in this game, 6:25 into the third.
It was Lafreniere’s third goal of the post-season, and he’s now riding a four-game point streak.
There were a few Rangers fans sitting in the front row, and they were all on their feet, and an amped-up Lafreniere skated over there during his celebration and yelled, “What’s up!” while he got hugs from his teammates.
What was up? The Rangers were, 2-1.
Svechnikov comes up huge
The game-tying goal came from just the guy you expected to pot it: Andrei Svechnikov.
The winger had been buzzing all game, creating opportunities with his size and speed and hands, and this one came after Carolina had pulled their goalie, with just 1:36 on the clock and fans on their feet.
Svechnikov pounced on a rebound in the slot and beat Svechnikov on the blocker side, sending those fans into an absolute tizzy and eventually sending this game into overtime.
Breadman the OT hero
Last game’s hero in double-OT, Vincent Trochek, picked up a rim around the boards and dished it over to Panarin, and with a quick deflection, that was that. This one was over just 1:43 into overtime.
Panarin ran on the ice, then pretended to kick a field goal just before his teammates covered him with hugs.
Game 4 is Saturday at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet at PNC Arena.
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PWHL Toronto forward Sarah Nurse defends the puck from PWHL Minnesota defender Sophie Jaques as PWHL Toronto takes on PWHL Minnesota in the inaugural playoff game at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto on May 8.Sammy Kogan�/The Globe and Mail
For the top-seeded team from Toronto, the first playoff game in the Professional Women’s Hockey League was everything it could have asked for.
In front of a packed house of 8,473 on Wednesday night, Toronto pounded Minnesota 4-0 in the opening game of their best-of-five series – the initial glimpse of playoff hockey in this breakout new league.
Natalie Spooner etched her name in the history books for the second time this year, as the PWHL’s inaugural scoring champ scored the league’s first postseason goal. Toronto captain Blayre Turnbull had a two-goal night.
It was the league’s first game inside Coca-Cola Coliseum – a move prompted by big ticket demand in the city to see this team. Toronto had played its regular-season home games at 2,500-seat Mattamy Athletic Centre this season and sold out each one.
The PWHL says it has not yet made any decisions about where the Toronto team will play home games next season. But it’s hard to imagine a better audition for the franchise to play more often at Coca-Cola Coliseum, home of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, than Wednesday’s game. The crowd was engaged, dotted heavily with blue jerseys, families, and lots of young girls with handmade signs with message such as, “MY PWHL.” Tickets for the game – ranging from $32 to $117 – were hard to secure. Most, outside a few in standing room, sold out in minutes.
The Toronto team expected to pack the place, especially after selling out the NHL rink in town for one game earlier this year.
PWHL Toronto players celebrate forward Natalie Spooner’s first goal of the game.Sammy Kogan�/The Globe and Mail
“Having home crowds like that really helps calm the nerves,” said Turnbull. “We kind of knew what to expect, after our game at Scotiabank [Arena], and then having these games sell out just as quickly as that one did.”
The league is exploring getting Toronto PWHL into a bigger home rink next season, if even for some games. Teams had 12 home dates in the first season’s 24-game schedule, but that will grow to a 30-game schedule next season, with 15 dates at home.
Per a unique PWHL playoff rule, top-seeded Toronto got to pick its first-round opponent, either fourth-seeded Minnesota or third-seeded Boston. The team from the State of Hockey was determined to make Toronto pay for that choice, but in fact, in Game 1, Minnesota didn’t at all resemble the star-powered group they had been at times earlier this year.
The past few days had not been comfy for Minnesota. The team backed into the playoffs, not on its own win, but thanks to a loss by Ottawa on Sunday. That’s when Minnesota learned it qualified for the playoffs. Then Toronto had 24 hours to decide who to play, leaving the other three playoff teams swinging for a day, waiting to make travel plans. The PWHL’s teams travel commercially, so Minnesota left home bright and early Tuesday for Toronto.
Spooner opened the scoring midway through the first period, when the Canadian Olympic gold medalist floated in on the wing and fired a wrist shot past Minnesota goalie Nicole Hensley, nestling it just inside the post. It was the Scarborough native’s 21st of the season in Game No. 25.
The stadium DJ blared Toronto’s goal song, Lady Gaga’s Applause, by now synonymous with the PWHL’s top-scoring team. A sign from one fan celebrated the 33-year-old player who juggles a toddler son: “Spooner=Mom Power.”
Minutes later, after doing a quick on-bench interview, Spooner was back on the ice, pouncing on a mid-ice turnover and racing in for a breakaway with a defender clinging to her. Minnesota thwarted that chance and was tracking Spooner’s every step, but she wiggled loose to make things happen all night.
Emma Maltais scored Toronto’s second goal, early in the second period. Sarah Nurse carried it end to end then dished a pass to Maltais, who cajoled Hensley across her crease then tucked it in the five-hole.
Toronto captain Blayre Turnbull had a two-goal night.Sammy Kogan�/The Globe and Mail
Spooner set up Toronto’s third goal, delivering a pass across the mouth of the net to Turnbull, who directed it in. Turnbull added another goal in the third. Toronto’s firepower was too much.
“Anytime Spooner has the puck and she’s close to the net, she’s either putting an accurate shot where the goalie is not, or she’s making a hard pass to someone’s blade,” said Turnbull. “Snytime she has the puck in the ozone, you know, she’s a threat.”
Toronto used depth, looked like a team balanced, confident and sturdy enough to weather a playoff run. Even the 13th forward got decent minutes. No need to lean too heavily on stars just yet.
“The success of our team is in the variance,” said Toronto Coach Ryan.
Minnesota – a talented squad spotted with U.S. national team stars, from Kendall Coyne Schofield to Grace Zumwinkle and No. 1 draft pick Taylor Heise – had chances. It outshot Toronto 26-19, 11-4 in just the second period.
But Toronto goalie Kristen Campbell kicked away or absorbed Minnesota’s attempts, including a slapper by Zumwinkle at close range. As Toronto fans have all season, they reacted to Campbell’s saves by hollering SOUP!
Toronto’s league-leading penalty kill was staunch again, denying Minnesota some prime opportunities.
As it has all year, Toronto blared Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 after securing the win, a nod to the women who now make a living playing hockey.
Game 2 will take place Friday in Toronto before the series swings to Saint Paul, Minn.
Boston and Montreal will play Game 1 of the other semi-final series at Place Bell, an AHL rink that seats more than 10,000, on Thursday in Laval, Que. Game 2 in the Toronto series is Friday night.
The final two teams will battle for the Walter Cup later this month.
With the playoff audience tuned in on Wednesday, the PWHL released some data on its inaugural season: total attendance of 392,259 for its 72 games; more than 40 corporate sponsorships; one million social-media followers and 238 million total impressions; plus 100,000 subscribers to its YouTube channel, with viewers from 88 countries.
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