WINNIPEG 鈥� Connor Hellebuyck made sure he did one important thing while winding down Sunday after the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-6 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
The favourite to win this season鈥檚 Vezina Trophy as the NHL鈥檚 top goalie made sure his recovery included replenishing his fluids.
"That was probably one of the most sweatiest games I鈥檝e played in this league," Hellebuyck said before skipping the team鈥檚 Monday optional skate at Canada Life Centre ahead of Game 2 on Tuesday.
"So there's a few extra things I had to do. But for the most part, it was just slowly winding down and watching highlights or some other games, see what's going on around the league and just relaxing."
Hellebuyck didn鈥檛 have much time to relax in the first game of the Western Conference best-of-seven series. He faced 46 shots, compared to Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev鈥檚 23.
The teams combined for six goals in the first period and six in the third. It鈥檚 the second game in Stanley Cup playoff history to feature two teams combining for at least six goals in multiple periods.
Hellebuyck said he tried to stay on an even keel after the frenzy of the opening period.
Colorado was outshooting the Jets 10-1 before Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin fired the puck over the goalie鈥檚 blocker at 6:10 to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
鈥淚鈥檝e been in this league long enough it鈥檚 going to be, 'I need to stop one more than the other guy.' I turn my mindset to that,鈥� Hellebuyck said.
"Our offence was buzzing, we scored seven. That鈥檚 an incredible feeling and our crowd was absolutely insane. What more could you ask for out of a playoff hockey game?"
Georgiev was brief after the game when analyzing how he had played.
"(The Jets) scored some really good goals, a couple lucky ones," he said. "You have to stay positive and try to find out what happened today and move forward. It鈥檚 only 1-0 in the series so I鈥檓 looking forward to the next game."
Winnipeg鈥檚 seven goals tied a franchise playoff record for most in a game.
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said postgame that Georgiev鈥檚 performance "probably needed to be better."
On Monday, the coach said Georgiev and his teammates need a bounce-back mindset for Game 2.
"It's going to be about mental toughness, right? Not just for him, for our group," Bednar said. "As positive as I'm going to be up here and sitting up here, we didn't win the hockey game. But you have to be able to reset."
Avalanche backup netminder Justus Annunen missed Sunday鈥檚 game because he was ill. He was still sick on Monday and wasn鈥檛 at the rink.
Arvid Holm, who鈥檚 never played an NHL game, backed up Georgiev. The Swedish netminder got into 12 games this season with the American Hockey League鈥檚 Colorado Eagles. He played two seasons with Winnipeg鈥檚 AHL Manitoba Moose affiliate (2021-23). The Jets drafted him in 2017 (167th overall).
Hellebuyck claimed the Vezina in 2020 and was a finalist last year and in 2018.聽
He played 60 games this past regular season, registering a 37-19-4 record, 2.39 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.
Avalanche forward Zach Parise is very familiar with Hellebuyck鈥檚 skills over the course of his 19-season NHL career. He spent nine seasons with Minnesota, including 2017-18 when Hellebuyck and the Jets bounced the Wild out of the playoffs in five games of the opening round.
"From the numbers that (Hellebuyck has) put up this year, he had a great season," Parise said Monday. "We knew going into the series that will be a great challenge."
The approach to beating him is the same as with other goalies in the league, added Parise, who confirmed this month he was retiring after the playoffs.
"As far as rattling (Hellebuyck), you just try to get bodies around there and traffic and make him uncomfortable," he said.
BOTH SIDES LIKED THE 鈥淲HITEOUT鈥�
Forward Tyler Toffoli joined the Jets at the trade deadline from the New Jersey Devils and experienced his first Winnipeg playoff game Sunday, with its white-clad, roaring sold-out crowd and thousands of similar fans partying outside.
He even looked up at the video scoreboard at the start of the game and saw two fighter jets flying over Winnipeg鈥檚 downtown.
"With the planes flying over, I didn鈥檛 think it was actually real. I thought it was a video, you know?" Toffoli said. "That was sweet. So, hopefully we can keep the energy up and get a couple more wins."聽
Bednar also soaked up the atmosphere from the visitors鈥� bench.聽
"I hadn鈥檛 been in a playoff atmosphere here yet and that鈥檚 as good as it gets," Bednar said. "It鈥檚 a whiteout, the fans are chanting and going crazy and you can feel the energy on the bench.
"It gave me goosebumps as a coach and I think the players were all feeling the same thing and it just forces you to bring your best."聽
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2024.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
