There are two reasons the Blues have dominated Connor Hellebuyck so far in their Round 1 series vs. the Winnipeg Jets. One, Hellebuyck is historically bad in the playoffs. And two, the Jets can’t figure out the Blues strategy.
While the Blues struggled to generate enough offense in Games 1 and 2, they flipped the script in Games 3 and 4, knotting up and gaining momentum in this series by taking more shots at the net from the blue line. This is all coming as the Blues crowd the net in front of a goaltender who’s more than run out of talent.
The Jets have also forgotten to play physical hockey, or at least that’s the case around the crease. Since the Blues suddenly remembered the object to winning hockey games is to score goals, they’ve been outstanding and the Jets have been, well, the Jets. The NHL’s version, not the NFL’s version of the same name that suffers from the same kind of bad luck.
Connor Hellebuyck has been unbelievably bad vs. the Blues
Connor Hellebuyck continues to have an asterisk next to his name. He’s the best goaltender in the world during the regular season, but he chokes unlike any other in the postseason, and has become notorious for that. Yeah, two Vezinas and two Jennings awards are great, but wow, if you can’t win in the playoffs, you’ll always be a second-tier netminder.
So far in the playoffs, Hellebuyck’s been pulled twice, and that’s hard to do in one series, especially when your backup is some guy who flamed out in Buffalo last season. Anyway, Hellebuyck has faced 82 shots on goal, or just over 20 per game. He’s allowed 15 goals in that span and has an 0.817 save percentage.
That said, it’s easy to label the Blues performance against someone who’s probably going to win the Vezina yet again as legendary. And if the Blues can confuse and make Hellebuyck look like organizational depth as opposed to an elite goaltender, then what kind of damage will they do if they win this series?
That question has gone from laughable just one week ago to legitimate. And if the Blues can continue to capitalize, they’ll punch their way into Round 2.
How can the Blues continue getting the best of Hellebuyck?
For one, they need to keep playing their brand of hockey until the Jets prove they can counter it. But even if the Jets remember that they can get physical around the net, I would instruct my players to start passing the puck around the perimeter and draw the Jets outside the crease. If the Blues can bait them, and if they’re fast enough, a player or two can reinvade the crease, setting up shop for an easy goal or two.
But right now, if it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it. The Blues have found a rhythm and they have the Jets on the ropes, despite a 2-2 tie in the series. Should they steal a win in Winnipeg and play that same brand of hockey, there’s a good chance they can close out the series in Arch City.