ST. PAUL, Minn. — Connor Hellebuyck showcased an outstanding performance with a season-best 43 saves as the Winnipeg Jets triumphed over the Minnesota Wild 4-1 on Monday night. This matchup featured two strong contenders from the Western Conference.
Hellebuyck’s impressive goalkeeping was crucial for the Jets as he recorded his league-leading 15th victory. The only player to score against him was defenseman Jacob Middleton, who found the net on a rebound in the first period.
Shortly after Middleton’s goal, Alex Iafallo leveled the score with a goal less than one and a half minutes later. Iafallo also added to his tally with a power-play tip-in goal with 6:40 left in the game, marking the 100th goal of his career.
Nino Niederreiter put the Jets ahead 2-1 with a slick backhand shot in front of Filip Gustavsson with 8:55 remaining in the second period. Having played for Minnesota from 2013 to 2018, Niederreiter has now scored seven goals and provided four assists against his former team.
With this loss, Minnesota continues to struggle against Winnipeg, having lost their last seven encounters, including a narrow 2-1 defeat in overtime earlier this season in Winnipeg.
Notable insights: Hellebuyck currently finds himself in a three-way tie for second place in the NHL for goals-against average (2.13). This group includes Gustavsson, who managed to stop 28 of 31 shots during the game.
For the Wild, Kirill Kaprizov made his return to action after missing one game due to a lower-body injury incurred last Thursday in Edmonton. Remarkably, Kaprizov’s streak of 11 consecutive games with points for the franchise was snapped in this match.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Niederreiter scored after Middleton had a breakaway opportunity fizzle out at the opposite end. Following this, his teammates Yakov Trenin and Joel Eriksson Ek got entangled with Iafallo, allowing Winnipeg to charge forward and capitalize on the opportunity.
Interestingly, despite Niederreiter’s goal coming as the Wild had outshot the Jets 36-16, Minnesota went nearly 11 minutes into the third period without registering a single shot on goal yet managed to finish the match with a 44-32 shot lead.
Looking ahead, the Jets are set to continue their season-long six-game road trip on Wednesday against Los Angeles, while the Wild will visit Buffalo on the same day.