Three things - Hellebuyck shines in Calgary

The Winnipeg Jets closed out their 2024 preseason with a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Jets finish the preseason 3-2-1 and will have Saturday off before beginning their final preparations for the regular season opener which will be October 9^th. Nino Niederreiter, Colin Miller and Kyle Connor scored for the Jets and Connor Hellebuyck came up huge in the third period and finished with 31 saves.

1. FAMILIAR LINEUP

The Jets lineup at the Saddledome was close to what you will see when they open the season in Edmonton next Wednesday. Familiar lines like Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi and Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton and D pairings Morrissey-DeMelo and Samberg-Pionk plus Hellebuyck starting in goal. It was the Lowry line that opened the scoring for the Jets in the first, Haydn Fleury dumped the puck into the offensive zone and Mason Appleton found a wide-open Nino Niederreiter and he scored for the third time in two games, all those goals coming against the Flames.

2. MILLER TIME

31-year-old Colin Miller signed a two-year deal with the Jets with an average annual value of $1,500,000 back in July. After being used sparingly last spring when he was acquired from the New Jersey Devils at the trade deadline, Miller will be a regular on the blueline this season. Miller had three goals and five points in the preseason, with his third goal coming tonight. Miller did a great job getting the puck past the Flames Jonathan Huberdeau and the shot ended up going off Dan Vladar’s blocker and in for a 2-0 Jets lead after two.

3. HELLEBUYCK WAS HELLEBUYCK

The Flames woke up in the final frame outshooting Winnipeg 20-4 and scoring tying the game with a couple of goals 3:23 apart. Both Calgary goals came on deflections on shots from the point. After the Flames tied it, Connor Hellebuyck held the fort with numerous big stops and then with 3:09 left in the period, Kyle Connor was in the right place at the right time to deposit the go-ahead goal behind Vladar. The Flames had a chance to tie the contest while on a late power play, but Hellebuyck robbed Nazem Kadri.