Hellebuyck sets Jets record with 18 career shutouts as Winnipeg blanks Canucks

WINNIPEG — Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves for his fourth shutout of the season as the Winnipeg Jets ended a six-game losing streak at home with a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.

It was the 18th shutout of Hellebuyck’s career and gave him the franchise record for shutouts, surpassing Ondrej Pavelec.

Hellebuyck earned it with some highlight saves, particularly in the third period. He even tried to shoot the puck down the ice into an empty net, but it hit a Vancouver player.

Kyle Connor scored twice, one into an empty net, to give him a team-leading 24 goals for Winnipeg (25-18-4), which was 0-5-1 during its losing skid at Bell MTS Place.

Jack Roslovic and Blake Wheeler also had a goal each and Patrik Laine picked up a pair of assists for the Jets, who have won their past 10 games against Vancouver.

Jacob Markstrom stopped 21 of the 24 shots he faced for the Canucks (25-18-4), who have been shut out three times this season.

Winnipeg led 2-0 after the first period and 3-0 after two.

The game got off to an unusual start for the Jets, who appeared to score three goals in the span of 37 seconds but only one counted.

During a wraparound by Jets centre Mark Scheifele, the puck went off Vancouver forward Brock Boeser and into the net at 1:18. However, a review showed the net had lifted off its mooring and the puck actually slid under the side of it so the goal didn’t count.

Four seconds later, Connor got a cross-ice pass from Sami Niku and sent a one-timer past Markstrom on the glove side.

Defenceman Anthony Bittetto’s point shot went by Markstrom at 1:55, but a Vancouver coach’s challenge for offside was successful so the goal was no good.

The Canucks had an early power play, but Hellebuyck stopped J.T. Miller’s shot.

Winnipeg made it 2-0 at 14:24 after Adam Lowry fed a long pass to Roslovic and he went in alone and fired the puck high past Markstrom.

Canucks forward Elias Pettersson hit the goal post late in the period.

Vancouver outshot Winnipeg 13-10 in the opening period.

The Jets began the second on the power play after a late first-period Vancouver penalty and made it count with Wheeler’s goal at 1:12.

The Canucks had two power plays close together late in the period, but Hellebuyck turned aside a Boeser blast and then a Pettersson slap shot.

Vancouver was leading 27-19 in shots after the middle frame.

Winnipeg defenceman Carl Dahlstrom left the game late in the second with an upper-body injury and didn’t return.

After Bo Horvat hit the crossbar behind Hellebuyck early in the third, the netminder made a number of slick saves.

He managed to smother a puck that was sliding around behind him, made a quick glove save on an Adam Gaudette shot and then splayed out to cover a puck in the last four minutes.

Winnipeg wraps up a three-game homestand Friday against Tampa Bay. Vancouver returns home to host Arizona on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2020.

Judy Owen, The Canadian Press