Scheifele, Hellebuyck lead Jets past Wild

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Mark Scheifele scored both goals for Winnipeg and Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves for his seventh shutout this season, as the Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 2-0 on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the firstround playoff series.

Scheifele scored with 28 seconds left in the first period and tacked on an empty-netter with 11 seconds remaining, pushing the Wild to the brink of elimination.

Devan Dubnyk stopped 26 shots for the Wild, who played without star left wing Zach Parise because of a broken sternum suffered in Game 3. After a six-goal outburst in their last appearance, the Wild had trouble generating the same kind of relentless attack and simply couldn’t slide any pucks past Hellebuyck.

Now the series shifts back to Winnipeg, with Game 5 on Friday night.

After a tightly whistled game here Sunday night, there were only three penalties called. The Jets closed up the holes they gave the Wild through the neutral zone in Game 3. Hellebuyck, who was named earlier in the day one of the NHL’s three finalists for the Vezina Trophy that’s awarded annually to the best goalie in the league, bounced back in a big way from the previous game when he gave up six goals and was pulled after two periods.

The crowd, fired up about the opportunity the Wild had to even the series, produced plenty of collective groans after difficult saves by Hellebuyck after jeering him in Game 3 with the customary “Sieve! Sieve! Sieve!” chant. One of Hellebuyck’s most important stops came in the opening minutes of the second period, when a 3-on-1 rush by the Wild set up Matt Dumba for a wrist try denied with a sprawling glove stop.

Glen Gulutzan took the fall for the Calgary Flames’ shortcomings this season with his dismissal Tuesday.

With a year remaining on his contract as head coach, Gulutzan was fired along with assistant Dave Cameron and Paul Jerrard less than two years after they were hired.

A poor home record, a wretched power play and a late-season dive contributed to Calgary finishing out of the playoffs with a 37-3510 record.

“Accountability lies with all of us,” Flames general manager Brad Treliving said at a hastily-called news conference at Scotiabank Saddledome.