GOALTENDER REPORT: Hellebuyck gets a rest amid Colorado low, Georgiev remains rock solid (2024)

Finally, someone had mercy on Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck on Sunday.

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After getting bombarded yet again by the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4, with his supposedly stellar defensive team crumbling in front of him, Jets head coach Rick Bowness finally decided to give him a rest.

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“Give him a break,” Bowness said. “Just too much time in there having to make save after save. Just giving him a break. That’s not on him whatsoever. That’s on the players in front of him.”

Laurent Brossoit came in to play an uneventful third period as the Jets fell 5-1 to the Avalanche and now trail the first-round NHL playoff best-of-seven 3-1.

Hellebuyck has made some great saves in this series and the scores would surely be even more lopsided without him, but his reputation as a playoff goaltender is taking a beating.

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Likely to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender after an outstanding regular season, Hellebuyck has been constantly under siege in the playoffs and has not been abvle to hold the fort.

He now has a 5.22 goals against average and .870 save percentage through four games of the series. His GAA is 17th among all goalies who have started games during the post-season and his save percentage is 15th. Considering there are only 16 teams in the post-season, those numbers look pretty awful.

He does lead the league in shots faced (147) by a wide margin (next most is 119) and his 127 saves are 20 more than any other goalie.

Like we’ve said throughout this series, it’s not all his fault because his team is playing an atrocious defensive game, but you can’t hide from the numbers either.

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Simply, they are not good enough.The 19 goals allowed in this series ties a career-high for the most goals surrendered in any four-game span in his career, including regular season and playoffs.

At the other end, Alexandar Goergiev was thought to be an Achilles Heel for the Avalanche coming into the series, with a 3.04 GAA and .896 save percentage during the regular season.

But after stinking the joint out in Game 1 in Winnipeg, he’s been rock solid. Over the last three games he has a .938 save percentage and has allowed five goals for a 2.16 goals against average.

Georgiev stopped 26 shots on Sunday in earning his third straight win and has the Avalanche just one more victory away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs.

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“It helps a lot when we are playing so well, spending so much time in the O-zone, less chances for me to need to make that big save,” Georgiev told reporters in Denver. “Just staying sharp and whenever the shots come, you’re sitting there waiting. When they come up with a good opportunity, just try to be sharp and be there.”

If only Hellebuyck had a similar luxury.

He’s almost sure to be back between the pipes as the Jets try to stave off elimination on Tuesday at Canada Life Centre and it would nice for him if just once the Jets could cut down on the crazy number of Colorado chances.

Twyman@postmedia.com\

X.com/Ted_Wyman

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