Connor Hellebuyck nets 300th win as Jets soar past Predators 5-2
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) makes a save on Nashville Predators' Michael McCarron (47) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. Credit: AP/FRED GREENSLADE
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Morgan Barron and Josh Morrissey scored 16 seconds apart to help Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck record his 300th NHL career win 5-2 over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.
Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi and Nino Niederreiter also scored for Winnipeg, which halted a three-game losing skid. Mark Scheifele added a pair of assists.
Hellebuyck stopped 26 shots.
Filip Forsberg ended an 18-game scoring drought with his 10th of the season for the Predators. Juuse Saros made 26 saves for Nashville.
Winnipeg led 3-0 after the first period and 3-1 heading into the third.
Takeaways
Predators: Nashville came out firing, with four shots 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.
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.
Winnipeg Jets' Morgan Barron (36) celebrates his goal on Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) with teammates David Gustafsson (19) and Rasmus Kupari (15) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. Credit: AP/FRED GREENSLADE
Key moment
Winnipeg killed off a pair of late penalties, including a Nashville five-on-three for 1 minute, 26 seconds. Hellebuyck made four saves.
Key stat
Hellebuyck recorded his league-leading 24th victory of the season. The 10-year veteran became the third-fastest NHL netminder to reach 300 wins, hitting the milestone in his 538th game. The only other goaltenders to accomplish the milestone faster are Andrei Vasilevskiy (490 games played) and Jacques Plante (521).
Up next
Predators: Host the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
Jets: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Friday.
