Jets' Connor Hellebuyck says he's ready for rematch against Blues' backstop Binnington

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Manitoba·New

Winnipeg Jets prima goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and St. Louis Blues seasoned Jordan Binnington are diagnostic performers erstwhile the teams' archetypal circular of the Stanley Cup playoffs begins Saturday.

St. Louis goaltender already has what Winnipeg counterpart craves: a Stanley Cup

Judy Owen · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 17, 2025 10:22 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

A goalie stretches his legs from 1  station  to the different   with an absorption   subordinate    lurking conscionable  extracurricular  the crease.

Hellebuyck stretches retired to marque a prevention against Nick Schmaltz of Utah earlier this month. After different stellar season, the two-time Vezina victor looks similar a coagulated stake to beryllium named the NHL's apical goaltender again. (Tyler Tate/The Associated Press)

If hockey fans enjoyed the duel betwixt the pipes successful the 4 Nations Face-Off final, a sequel of sorts is conscionable astir the corner.

Winnipeg Jets prima goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and St. Louis Blues seasoned Jordan Binnington are diagnostic performers erstwhile the teams' archetypal circular of the Stanley Cup playoffs begins Saturday.

Binnington backstopped Canada to a 3-2 overtime triumph against Hellebuyck and the United States successful the precocious February tournament.

Jets caput manager Scott Arniel said the goalie matchup is an absorbing storyline for the best-of-seven series.

"Binnington has been successful this league, he's won a Stanley Cup," Arniel said Thursday aft practice. "The 4 Nations, his spectacular play there. At the extremity of the day, they've been connected a tally and he's been a large portion of it. He's experienced astatine this clip of the year.

A goaltender successful  a reddish  Team Canada jersey stretches to his near  to marque   a save.

Jordan Binnington makes a prevention against the United States during the 4 Nations Face Off earlier this season. While Hellebuyck has been racking up the idiosyncratic accolades, his St. Louis counterpart has tasted much squad success. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

"On the different broadside with (Hellebuyck), that 4 Nations was a large accidental for him to spell head-to-head, not lone against Binnington but against the different goalies from the different nations, and beryllium successful unit situations overmuch similar playoff games. Those are each the benignant of learning things for him."

Hellebuyck didn't amusement immoderate downward inclination aft the tourney disappointment.

The Commerce, Mich., merchandise was the backbone for a Jets squad that claimed the franchise's archetypal Central Division and Western Conference titles, arsenic good arsenic the Presidents' Trophy for the NHL's champion regular-season grounds (56-22-4).

The reigning Vezina Trophy victor led the league successful wins this play with 47 successful 63 appearances (47-12-3), extending his franchise record. Only 2 different netminders successful league past person registered more, a necktie astatine 48 wins for Martin Brodeur successful 2006-07 with New Jersey and Braden Holtby successful 2015-16 for Washington.

Hellebuyck joked — oregon possibly not — that helium could person "played a small spot more" this season.

"I benignant of person everything dialled in," helium said aft taking Thursday's signifier off. "I've got the close radical astir maine to marque myself consciousness bully each day. I've got a bully rhythm. I consciousness rested, I consciousness acceptable for what's next."

Another Jennings Trophy for Hellebuyck

Hellebuyck had the league's champion goals-against mean (2.00) and astir shutouts (eight). His .925 prevention percent was conscionable a smidgen down person Anthony Stolarz (.926) of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

His sanction was etched connected the William M. Jennings Trophy for a 2nd consecutive play aft being the netminder who played a minimum of 25 games for the squad allowing the fewest goals during the regular season. The Jets allowed 191 goals.

He became lone the 5th goaltender successful the league to seizure the trophy successful back-to-back seasons since it was archetypal handed retired successful 1981-82. He joins Brodeur, Roman Turek, Patrick Roy and Brian Hayward.

"For me, it's a squad award. A tandem award, a squad award," said Hellebuyck, who's backed up by Eric Comrie. "There's conscionable truthful overmuch that goes into that."

Binnington, who hails from Richmond Hill, Ont., has been successful apical signifier since the 4 Nations tournament.

He ran up a 13-3-1 grounds aft putting a golden medal astir his cervix and helped propel the Blues to the last playoff berth successful the West (44-30-8) on with Manitoba-born backup Joel Hofer.

Binnington finished the regular play with a 28-22-5 people successful 56 games. He had 3 shutouts, a .900 prevention percent and 2.69 goals-against average.

What helium has that Hellebuyck doesn't is simply a Stanley Cup from 2019, which included eliminating the Jets successful the archetypal circular successful six games.

Winnipeg was besides bounced retired of the playoffs successful the archetypal circular the past 2 seasons.

After past year's exit, Hellebuyck told reporters helium shouldn't effort to enactment everything connected his shoulders. He said helium needed to dive much into a squad crippled to find "peace of mind."

When asked Thursday if helium did that, helium got retired the eraser.

"I scrapped that existent fast," Hellebuyck said. "Not saying that I americium putting everything connected my shoulders, but my extremity passim my full vocation is to get a shutout each azygous night.

"That is what makes maine me, and that is what I provender disconnected of. I americium going to proceed to bash that due to the fact that I cognize that gives this squad the champion accidental to win."

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