Three things - Hellebuyck steals the show

WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets played another low scoring game against a Central Division opponent, this time beating the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 to improve to 13-1-0 on the season. Gabe Vilardi scored the only goal of the game and Connor Hellebuyck recorded his 40^th career shutout for Winnipeg. The Jets and Avalanche are first and second in the NHL in power play efficiency but went a combined 0-for-3 tonight. Winnipeg will wrap up their four game homestand Saturday afternoon against the Dallas Stars.

WASTING NO TIME

Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev was off to a tough start to the season with a 1-4 record, 4.62 goals against average and an .822 save percentage. The Jets got to him early in the first, when Mark Scheifele and Gabe Vilardi broke out on an odd man rush, Scheifele slid a pass over to Vilardi who scored for the fifth time in the last six games giving Winnipeg a 1-0 lead 1:06 into the contest. That goal turned out to be the eventual game winner.

“Yeah, I think on the on the 2-on-1’s, I'm expecting to get that puck every time from him. I've seen him do it in practice so many times,” said Vilardi.

He always finds the triangles under the stick, whether it's through the legs, whatever it is, he'll wait a guy out and find the seam and that's on 2-on-1’s, that's on power play.”

HELLEBUYCK TIME

The Jets were facing the Avalanche for the first time since Colorado knocked them out in five games in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Jets forward Mason Appleton said before the game tonight that “To say this game is just another game would be a lie”. Winnipeg had a solid opening period, but Colorado took over in the second and third periods with 10 high danger scoring chances over the final 40 minutes. Hellebuyck made a brilliant stop on Cale Makar in the third period as one of his 35 saves to register his second straight shutout. His shutout streak is now up to 133:09 going back to his start against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“We didn’t give up at all. We battled right to the end and like I said they were clearing rebounds, giving me lanes, boxing out,” said Hellebuyck.

“Puck was hitting me. We had a perfect combination for a game like that.”

CONTAINING NHL’S LEADING SCORER

Nathan MacKinnon had a career high five assists on Tuesday in Denver against the Seattle Kraken that put him on top of the scoring race. MacKinnon’s line with Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen combined for nine shots but like the rest of their teammates, could not beat Connor Hellebuyck. Adam Lowry, Nino Niederreiter and Mason Appleton were the primary match against the MacKinnon line and shut them down. The trio have only given up one goal at five-on-five so far this season continuing their impressive play from last season.