The Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets are set to host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, with both teams eager for a victory — though for different reasons.
Winnipeg aims to stay atop the division, leading Minnesota Wild by three points entering Monday. Vancouver, meanwhile, is fighting to stay above the playoff line, holding a one-point lead over Calgary for the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference entering Monday.
The Jets have a key advantage in star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck has been elite this season, leading the NHL with 26 wins, a 2.02 goals-against average, a .928 save percentage and six shutouts among goalies.
“Yeah, he’s rolling,” teammate Nikolaj Ehlers said of Hellebuyck, who is the front-runner for his third Vezina Trophy.
Has Hellebuyck surpassed his own expectations?
“That’s something you have to ask him,” Ehlers said. “All of the years I’ve played with him, he’s been unbelievable. … Bucky is the best. There’s no way around it.”
Ehlers is coming off a two-goal performance against the Colorado Avalanche in Saturday’s 3-0 home victory, with Hellebuyck stopping all 22 shots.
With Vladislav Namestnikov sidelined by a lower-body injury, Ehlers played alongside Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti. Namestnikov has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game.
“It’s intriguing now. It’s got me thinking. I liked a lot of what I saw,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said of the new line combination. “(Lowry) is great at talking to (Ehlers) and keeping him on track. … Ehlers did a great job, obviously scoring two goals, but also without the puck, which is what that line is about.”
The Jets may also be without a pair of defensemen as Colin Miller remains out with a fractured larynx while Haydn Fleury is close to returning from a lower-body injury. Fleury practiced in a full-contract jersey on Monday.
On the other side, Vancouver comes in with renewed confidence after a 3-0 victory at Toronto on Saturday as its star forwards stepped up.
Helping the Canucks snap a four-game winless streak, Brock Boeser ended a five-game goal drought and Elias Pettersson added an assist. With J.T. Miller contributing defensively, the Canucks secured the win.
Pettersson has just three goals in his last 15 games and Miller has two in his last 16. This scoring slump has contributed to Vancouver’s underachievement.
“They know it. Challenge them? They know it,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “For us to be successful, they’re going to have to score goals. But when you’re not scoring, you’ve got to play good defense. They take that to heart.”
One bright spot for the Canucks has been Quinn Hughes, who remains a force on defense and leads the team with 47 points (nine goals, 38 assists) in 38 games. He posted a goal and an assist in Saturday’s win.
“He’s just a terrific guy. He cares about everybody. He’s the same whether we’re up or down five-nothing. He’s a true captain,” Tocchet said.
Despite their recent struggles, the Canucks know the importance of winning to stay in playoff contention.
“We could have won in Washington, could have won in Montreal,” Hughes said after the win in Toronto, speaking of a pair of overtime losses. “We played hard in Carolina, so we’ve just got to keep going.”
–Field Level Media
