Hellebuyck nets 300th win as Jets soar past Predators 5-2

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) covers up the puck after making a save on a Nashville Predators shot during third period NHL hockey action in Winnipeg, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press)

Morgan Barron and Josh Morrissey scored 16 seconds apart to help Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck record his 300th NHL career win with a 5-2 decision against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.

Hellebuyck became the third-fastest NHL netminder to reach 300 wins (300-179-43). The only other goaltenders to accomplish the milestone faster are Andrei Vasilevskiy (490 games played) and Jacques Plante (521).

The 10-year veteran is also the 41st goalie to reach 300 victories, and the 30th to have 300 wins and at least 40 shutouts.

Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi and Nino Niederreiter also scored for Winnipeg (28-12-2), which halted a three-game losing skid (0-2-1). Mark Scheifele added a pair of assists.

Hellebuyck, who is 25-6-2 with five shutouts this season, turned aside 26 Nashville shots.

Filip Forsberg ended an 18-game scoring drought with his 10th of the season for the Predators (13-21-7), who finished a season-high six-game road trip (2-4-0). Juuse Saros made 26 saves for Nashville.

Winnipeg led 3-0 after the first period and 3-1 heading into the third.

Barron banged the puck in past Saros on a power play at 6:30 and Morrissey fired a point shot over the goalie's left shoulder 16 seconds later. Connor added his 23rd of the season at 18:36.

Forsberg made it 3-1 with a power-play goal at 16:45 of the second period.

Vilardi scored nine seconds into Winnipeg's first power play at 7:51 of the third, but Josi made it 4-2 less than two minutes later.

Niederreiter notched an empty-net goal with 2:05 remaining.

TAKEAWAYS

Jets: Hellebuyck kept his teammates afloat by stopping an early and late barrage of shots. Morrissey left the game limping early in the second period after crashing into a goalpost when he was clipped by Scheifele.

Predators: Nashville came out firing four shots at Hellebuyck in the first 1:47 of the game. They hit the post at least three times during the game. Steven Stamkos and Luke Evangelista left the game during the second period and didn't return.

KEY MOMENT

Winnipeg killed off a pair of late penalties, including a Nashville five-on-three for one minute 26 seconds. Hellebuyck made four saves.

KEY STAT

Hellebuyck recorded his league-leading 24th victory of the season and 300th win of his career.

UP NEXT

Predators: Host the Washington Capitals on Saturday.

Jets: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Friday.

 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2025.