Connor Hellebuyck stops 33 shots, Jets beat Red Wings 3-0
Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves for his second shutout of the season and Andrew Copp scored twice in the Winnipeg Jets' 3-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.
Kyle Connor added an empty-net goal in Winnipeg's first game since a 7-1 loss in Colorado a week ago and just its fourth since Dec. 19. The Jets, who dressed six players on emergency recall, had seven postponements during that stretch.
Hellebuyck, Copp and Connor are Winnipeg's three Michigan natives, making it a special night for all involved.
"It must be something in the water here, I guess," Connor said. "We haven't played here in awhile. We spent a lot of time here, grew up here, all three of us idolized the Wings growing up. There's a little bit of extra pep in your step coming home and playing against the Wings. "
Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 29 shots for Detroit. The Red Wings were shut out for the fifth time this season. They were playing their first game after a winless three-game road trip.
"I thought we had a slow start -- it is tough coming back from a West Coast (swing) and pretty much playing the next day," center Dylan Larkin said. "Once we got going, I thought we had good energy, but it was already 1-0 against us."
Copp opened the scoring at 5:41 of the first period. He flicked a shot near the left boards that deflected off defenseman Nick Leddy and caromed behind Nedeljkovic. Defenseman Dylan Samberg, making his NHL debut, was credited with an assist.
Copp's second goal and 10th of the season came just after Winnipeg killed off a penalty. He lifted a shot over Nedeljkovic's right shoulder midway through the second period.
"I definitely had a lot of chances tonight," Copp said. "I could have had more (goals). Happy to come away with a big win, especially missing some guys and not having played in a little while."
The Red Wings had a 5-on-3 advantage for 47 seconds late in the third period and emptied the net for an extra skater. They still couldn't get the puck past Hellebuyck.
"It was crazy seeing that happen," Hellebuyck said. "I haven't been in too many of those situations. I was thinking I've got to earn (the shutout) and the guys in front of me did a phenomenal job."
Wings coach Jeff Blashill lamented the missed opportunities.
"I thought we generated a lot of good looks," he said. "Connor is a really good goalie and I thought there were some grade-A chances where we just missed the net,"
Connor fired the puck from his own zone just before the second penalty for his 20th goal of the season.
"The penalty kill was outstanding, especially at the end," Jets interim coach Dave Lowry said. "Goaltending was outstanding and I really liked the energy the young guys brought. We challenged some of our top guys that we needed them to be our best players tonight and they accepted the challenge."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.