Jets Become Second Ever Team To Win 13 Out Of 14 NHL Games

Summary:

• The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 at Canada Life Centre.
• It was the teams’ first matchup since the Avalanche eliminated the Jets in last season’s playoffs.
• Connor Hellebuyck made 35 saves, making the Jets the second NHL team to open the season with 13 wins out of 14 games. 

The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 on Thursday at the Canada Life Centre before a crowd of 12,918 in their first meetup since last season’s NHL playoff, when the Canadians were ousted by their opponents who won the series four games to one.

The victory turned the Jets into the second NHL team in history to open the season with 13 victories out of 14 played games, joining the Ottawa Senators (13-1-0) in the 2007-08 season.

Hellebuyck’s Knee Saves, Crucial for the Jets 

Goalie Connor Hellebuyck had an excellent night, making 35 saves and securing his second straight shutout of the season and the 40th of his career.

The 31-year-old born in Michigan made a series of four crucial saves from his knees midway through the second period, denying Colorado and contributing to his team’s victory.

“I thought the guys played really hard in front of me”, said the player who was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week for the week ending on October 13 at the end of the game. 

They let me see pucks, cleared rebounds, scored. We really committed to our game in our defensive zone. It might not have been pretty but that’s why every game is a team effort.

Vilardi: “We Got the Best Goalie in the World”

Gabriel Vilardi netted the only goal for the team (13-1-0) that has won five straight since suffering their only loss of the season on October 28 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Vilardi acknowledged,

There’s no sugar coating, it wasn’t our best game. [Hellebuyck] won that game for us. It’s that simple. I think we had a good first period, and then after that we kind of lost it somewhere in the middle of the second.

The 25-year-old further commented

It’s just, we got the best goalie in the world. But we can’t play like that and expect to win very many games.

Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev stopped 27 shots for Colorado (6-8-0). After conceding early, Colorado created scoring opportunities but struggled to beat Hellebuyck.

Colorado outshot Winnipeg 17-4 in the third period and 35-28 overall. Up next, the Jets will close their four-game homestand Saturday against the Dallas Stars, while Colorado will be hosting the Carolina Hurricanes.