When the buzzer sounded to end the game and the season for the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, goalie Connor Hellebuyck left the bench and went back on to the ice.
The netminder had been off for an extra attacker, but six skaters couldnB次元官网网址檛 tie up the game and Jets were eliminated from the playoffs as the expansion Vegas Golden Knights won the Western Conference final series in Game 5 with a 2-1 victory.
Hellebuyck went up to his teammates still on the ice, many bent over their sticks their heads hanging dejectedly, and gave them a pat and said a few words in what he agreed was an emotional moment.
B次元官网网址淭hese guys left their heart out there,B次元官网网址� Hellebuyck said. B次元官网网址淵ou could tell how hard they worked. Not only tonight, but all season long. IB次元官网网址檓 proud of the way these guys played in front of me.B次元官网网址�
Hellebuyck turned aside 30 saves in his final outing of a season in which heB次元官网网址檚 a finalist for the Vezina Trophy along with Tampa BayB次元官网网址檚 Andrei Vasilevskiy and Pekka Rinne of Nashville. But his strong performance was overshadowed by the play of VegasB次元官网网址� veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who stopped 31 shots and continued being the brightest star on a team of castoffs from other clubs.
B次元官网网址淚 thought this was our year,B次元官网网址� Hellebuyck said. B次元官网网址淵ou could see how hard everyone was working. How much everyone wanted it. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why this oneB次元官网网址檚 tough.B次元官网网址�
Vegas winger Alex Tuch scored 5:11 into the first period after Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey turned over the puck on a pass attempt in front of the net. But Morrissey bounced back when his one-timer beat Fleury for his first career playoff goal with 2:46 left in the opening period.
Viva Las Vegas 馃檶馃ぉ
B次元官网网址� Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights)
Winnipeg native Ryan Reaves scored the go-ahead goal with a high deflection of defenceman Luca SbisaB次元官网网址檚 point shot that hit the crossbar and then went in at 13:21 of the second period.
B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 see much,B次元官网网址� Hellebuyck said of the game-winning shot. B次元官网网址淏ut any time a guy tips it and it goes bar south, you know somethingB次元官网网址檚 going right for them. That was tough to swallow, but I guess thatB次元官网网址檚 the game.B次元官网网址�
Jets captain Blake Wheeler said he thought the Jets had been the better team going into the series, but Fleury was the difference-maker.
B次元官网网址淭heir goaltender was extraordinary,B次元官网网址� Wheeler said. B次元官网网址淭here were numerous times the puck was in spots where it looked like it was in the net or going in the net. And heB次元官网网址檚 playing lights out right now.B次元官网网址�
But he also credited Hellebuyck for his performance.
B次元官网网址淗e played awesome,B次元官网网址� Wheeler said. B次元官网网址淭his isnB次元官网网址檛 on him. He made some terrific saves to give us a chance.B次元官网网址�
Centre Mark Scheifele, who scored 14 goals and had 20 points in the playoffs, also pointed to Fleury as the wall they couldnB次元官网网址檛 break down.
B次元官网网址淭hey had the best goalie in the league right now. He stood on his head. He made a lot of big saves,B次元官网网址� Scheifele said. B次元官网网址淭heir (defence) played solid, played solid in their D zone.B次元官网网址�
Thank you fans for supporting and leading us to a record breaking season and historic playoff run!
B次元官网网址� Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets)
This season was one weB次元官网网址檒l never forget and your support throughout means everything to us!
WE ARE WINNIPEG.
Forward Paul Stastny, acquired by Winnipeg before the trade deadline from St. Louis, was asked why the Jets had a tough time generating offence.
B次元官网网址淔leury played well,B次元官网网址� Stastny said, following the theme. B次元官网网址淚 think once they got the lead, they did a good job of kind of almost playing a traffic game and trying to force us to do too much ourselves. Sometimes we got into trouble, one guy trying to go through five guys and then that never works.
B次元官网网址淚t happened in the past series, we learned from it. Later in the game, everyone tries to do a little extra, youB次元官网网址檙e trying so hard for each other and sometimes thatB次元官网网址檚 the worst thing you can do.B次元官网网址�
Winnipeg was 0 for 4 on the power play and Vegas 0 for 2.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think we ran out of gas at all,B次元官网网址� Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. B次元官网网址淲e lost some sharpness. When you look at the second half of our last two games, especially, we were driving as hard as we could. So there was fuel in the tank. There was a hard and heavy push and it was right.B次元官网网址�
Winnipeg finished second overall in the NHL behind Nashville and the franchise went deeper into the playoffs that the former Atlanta Thrashers club or the original Jets.
The Canadian Press
Like us on and follow us on .
