The Calgary Flames will face the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. MST. Flames coach Ryan Huska is preparing his team to take on one of the NHL’s top goaltenders, Connor Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck has been a key part of the Jets' strong season, helping them to a 33-14-3 record. He has a 30-7-2 record, with a goals-against average of 2.02 and a save percentage of .926. His six shutouts lead the league.
Huska praised Hellebuyck’s skill, calling him the best goaltender in the NHL. He explained that the Flames have to create traffic in front of him.
"You have to have a lot of traffic in front of him," Huska said during a pregame interview. "He's the best goaltender in the NHL right now, and if he sees pucks, he's going to make saves. So it's our job as a group of defensemen to be smart shooters, but we also have to do a great job of really fighting to get through his eyes, in his eyes, whatever you want to call it, and then be hungry for the second opportunities."
Huska also talked about fighting for rebounds and second chances.
Hellebuyck is in his 10th season with the Winnipeg Jets after he was drafted by the team in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL draft (130th overall). He has played 544 career games, with 305 wins, 180 losses and 43 overtime losses. His career GAA is 2.58 and his SV% is .917.
In the 2017-18 season, he had a record of 44-11-9 with a 2.36 GAA and a .924 SV%. In 2023-24, he finished with 37 wins, 19 losses and four overtime losses. His GAA was 2.39, and his SV% was .921.
Calgary Flames previously defeated the Jets in Connor Hellebuyck's absence from the lineup
The Calgary Flames will face the Winnipeg Jets again, having won their last three games. They beat the Jets 3-1 on January 18, but Connor Hellebuyck was not in goal for that game.
Matt Coronato gave Calgary a 1-0 lead in the first period. In the second, Andrei Kuzmenko scored a power-play goal to make it 2-0 before Adam Lowry scored for the Jets in the third period to make it 2-1.
Blake Coleman almost extended Calgary’s lead but hit both posts. He later sealed the win with an empty-net goal. Dustin Wolf had a great game, making 38 saves, including 15 in the third period.