Hellebuyck and Connor set new franchise records in win over Colorado

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Jets snapped a four-game losing skid in style on Sunday night, and broke two franchise records along the way.
Kyle Connor's 45th goal of the season, which proved to be the insurance marker in a 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, sets a new franchise mark for goals in a season since relocation in 2011 - besting Patrik Laine's 44 in 2017-18.
On top of that, Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves to earn his 200th career win in his 380th career game, the latter of the two being the most in franchise history by a goaltender.
When Hellebuyck's achievement was announced, the fans inside Canada Life Centre got on their feet to show their love for the 2020 Vezina Trophy winner.
"It just shows that the fans appreciate everything I've accomplished here with them," said Hellebuyck. "I'm glad to call Winnipeg my home this past few years and look forward to some more."

As for Connor, when his 45th goal bulged the twine, he was just happy with the final result.
"It's even better to get a win here tonight, too," he said. "There's a lot of good players that have come through this organization, a lot of talent, a lot of skill."
The rest of Winnipeg's offence came off the sticks of Adam Lowry, Blake Wheeler, and Nikolaj Ehlers as the Jets opened a four-game home stand with their first victory over the Central Division leading Colorado Avalanche this season.
"I thought we had a lot of really good chances," said Jets interim head coach Dave Lowry after the Jets out shot Colorado 44-31. "We wanted to get inside, we wanted to attack, we wanted to force them to have to fight through some traffic."

Winnipeg (36-32-11) had to be patient in the game, as none of their 23 shots in the opening 40 minutes got past Kuemper.
They had their looks. An Adam Lowry attempt at the famed Peter Forsberg one-handed deke went off the outside of the post. Wheeler was stopped on a breakaway, and Ehlers had an open look in the slot turned away.
Connor was impressed with Lowry's Forsberg move.
"I think he wanted to score that one pretty bad," Connor grinned. "We were all cheering for him. I was telling him he needs to do that one more coming from the right side. He's got such a long reach. He can be able to pull that off."
Lowry's time would come, it just wouldn't be the game's opening goal.
The first goal of the game didn't come until 5:03 into the third, when Erik Johnson slipped a backhand saucer pass to the middle of the ice for J.T. Compher, who beat Hellebuyck low on the glove side for his 17th of the season.

Winnipeg got back on even footing four minutes later, as Lowry deflected home a Josh Morrissey point shot to make it 1-1. The goal was Lowry's 13th of the season, two shy of his career-best of 15 set in 2016-17.
Then, the home side took a 2-1 lead on Wheeler's 14th of the season. Dylan Samberg's point shot went off the foot of Cale Makar - who was engaged in a battle with Ehlers - in front of Kuemper and over to the Jets captain, who chipped it into the empty cage just 1:19 after Lowry's goal.
To complete a three-goal stretch in 3:21 of game play, Jansen Harkins picked off a breakout pass from Andrew Cogliano and quickly fed Connor in front. The Jets' sniper made a quick move to his forehand and beat a sprawling Kuemper for a 3-1 Jets lead - and the new franchise record.
"I take pride in that, being able to score in all areas of the ice, whether it's in my spot on the power play over there or anywhere on the ice in tight trying to get a shot off quick," said Connor. "It's something that I continue to work on every summer and I want to get better (at)."

Connor was also complimentary of Harkins' play on his line with Pierre-Luc Dubois, as was Dave Lowry.
"He got his feet moving, he was heavy on pucks," said Lowry. "He did a really good job of protecting a puck, making a play and then getting to the net."
The exclamation point on the night came with 3:42 left on the clock, when Paul Stastny won a scramble draw in the left circle, and Ehlers swooped in from the wing, found open space, and snapped home his 27th of the season.
That leaves him two shy of his career-high of 29 from 2017-18.
With the win secured, the Jets now shift their focus to Wednesday's tilt with the Philadelphia Flyers.
And after a night of some power play double-shifting, five shots on goal, and a couple more chances that could've put him higher than 45, perhaps Connor has his eye on another milestone?
He has three games left to hit 50.
"If it happens, it happens," Connor said. "It's not going to change my mentality to how I approach the game."