Winnipeg netminder makes a statement
NASHVILLE— Heading into the much-anticipated Western Conference semifinal between Nashville and Winnipeg, a lot of talk centred around the highpowered offences that helped the Predators and Jets finish1-2 in the NHL’s overall standings.
Flying somewhat under the radar is that the series also features two of the three goaltenders nominated for the Vezina Trophy.
In Friday night’s Game 1, Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck made 47 saves to lead the Jets to a 4-1 victory against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Predators. After shutting out the Minnesota Wild in the last two games of the Jets’ first-round series, Hellebuyck has stopped 107 of the last 108 shots over his last three games.
After the win, Jets coach Paul Maurice indicated that even when his team surrenders more shots than they generate, there’s a confidence that Hellebuyck will be there to make the saves needed.
“I think we can play better and I think we will as this series goes on, but we pay our goaltender too,” he said.
Nashville’s Pekka Rinne, who is considered the frontrunner for the Vezina, struggled in Game 1. He stopped 13 of 16 shots before Nashville coach Peter Laviolette lifted him the Finn at the start of the third period in an attempt to jumpstart his team.
“Pekka will be ready,” Laviolette said of Sunday’s Game 2. “He’s a world-class goalie. He’s been the backbone of this franchise for a long time. He’s been through a lot of wars and a lot of battles, so we have no issues with that.
“I really think that we could have cleaned up the front of our net on the first two goals a little bit better. That might have helped with some better defence.” Rinne would have rather played Game 2 on Saturday rather than waiting until Sunday.
“I think that’s the mindset you have to have in playoffs, whatever happened yesterday, today is a new day and another opportunity tomorrow,” he said. “You lose a game in (the) playoffs and we played that well, obviously personally you want to be better. That’s just the way it goes.”
The Jets have scored first in each of their six playoff games, something they would like to see continue against Rinne.
“He’s an elite goaltender, obviously, I think both goaltenders in this series are,” Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey said. “It’s hard to score on those guys unless you have traffic, second and third opportunities and plays around the front of the net.
“It’s going to be a long series. That’s something that we have to focus on all the time.” During Saturday’s media availability, Jets captain Blake Wheeler drew some laughs when he shared that not everyone on the team noticed that Juuse Saros replaced Rinne at the start of the third period.
Saros, who is also a Finn, stands six inches shorter than Rinne.
“A good majority of us knew right away when we got on the ice, but then there was a handful talking after the game that didn’t know,” he said. “So, we’re just (going to) go with we were in the zone.”
It’s easy to forgive the oversight on those who did not notice the goaltending change as Saros did not see much action. The Jets managed just two shots on the backup netminder over 18 minutes before he was pulled for an extra attacker.
Saros saved both shots he faced.