Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck was perfect Sunday night, turning away all 29 Vancouver Canucks shots to pick up his 25th win of the season.

The 24-year-old helped his club to a 1-0 victory, and in doing so, set a franchise record for the fewest games needed to hit the 25-win plateau (39).

Hellebuyck bested the previous mark of 49 games set by Kari Lehtonen during the 2006-07 season.

It's the latest accolade for Hellebuyck in a season that has already seen him named to next weekend's All-Star festivities. He now hones a .926 save percentage and a 2.29 goals-against average, both of which stand as career highs, and he's now just one win away from matching his career best of 26, which he set last season.

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On the back of an impressive three-goal outburst in the first period, the Vegas Golden Knights topped the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 on Sunday, hitting the 66-point mark to pass the Tampa Bay Lightning for top spot in the NHL.

Prior to Sunday's game, the Lightning had occupied the first overall position since Nov. 28.

With its 31st win on the season, the Golden Knights also reached the third-highest win total by a team in its inaugural season, matching the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers, who each did so during the 1967-68 season. Two more wins, and they will tie the record of 33 victories currently held by the Anaheim Ducks and Florida Panthers, who achieved the mark during the 1993-94 campaign.

In losing to the Golden Knights, the Hurricanes also became the ninth team to lose their season series against Vegas this term.

Let's face it: this Golden Knights team is for real.

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Paul Coffey's resume speaks for itself - at least as far as Peter Chiarelli is concerned.

The former Edmonton Oilers blue-liner was hired by the club Sunday to be its new skills development coach, and while he doesn't have any experience in such a role, it's his knowledge of the game that attracted the Oilers.

"If your question is should a candidate have needed more coaching experience, I think Paul is an exception," Oilers general manager Chiarelli told reporters Sunday. "I think the way he looks at the game and he views the game is a real asset."

A key cog of the Gretzky-era Oilers, Coffey was a dynamic puck-mover who played seven seasons in Edmonton. While his career with the Oilers was relatively short, it was decorated, with three Stanley Cups and two Norris Trophies.

As skills development coach, Coffey will be tasked with working alongside the Oilers' up-and-coming players, particularly the bevy of talent on the back end.

That includes the likes of AHLers Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear, plus 2017 draft selection Dmitri Samorukov, among others.

Critics may suggest the organization is simply hiring another familiar name - ex-Oilers Wayne Gretzky, Craig MacTavish, and Kevin Lowe all have roles with the team - but Chiarelli insisted Coffey was chosen based on merit.

"I know prior to me coming in here there was talk of all of the old Oilers, but for me, this is a collaborative decision by myself and (coach) Todd (McLellan). We're not old Oilers," Chiarelli added.

"There are a lot of nuances to playing D and it's no accident that it takes D longer to mature ... I feel (Coffey) brings a level of expertise and insight into the game that will help our D and how our D play collectively."

Coffey has coached at the midget AAA and junior A levels in the Greater Toronto Hockey League and the Ontario Junior Hockey League, respectively.

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The cause of Carey Price's uncharacteristically poor start to the 2017-18 season may have been pinpointed, as the all-world goaltender dealt with chronic fatigue, according to a report from TVA Sports, translated by Sportsnet's Eric Engels.

"I was always tired," Price said. "A guy who eats well and sleeps well like me isn't supposed to be tired like I was."

The constant fatigue was negatively affecting his ability to recover properly, and doctors discovered vitamin D and B12 deficiencies upon taking blood tests.

Prior to an injury suffered on Nov. 2, Price had won just three games, owning a save percentage of .877. However, since a switch to his diet and a healthy return to the net, the 30-year-old is back to normal, making saves at a 92 percent clip since Nov. 25.

"It took me three weeks to see a major difference in my energy level," Price said.

For the season, Price is 13-16-4 with a .908 save percentage and 2.96 goals-against average.

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The hockey world lost an icon Sunday, as longtime USA Hockey executive Jim Johannson died unexpectedly at 53.

Players, teams, and media members alike expressed their condolences upon learning the news.

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Paul Coffey's role with the Edmonton Oilers has been identified, as the Hall of Fame defenseman will join the club as a skills development coach, the team announced Sunday.

It was reported Saturday that Coffey was set to join his former team but in an unknown capacity.

Coffey spent seven seasons with the Oilers, winning three Stanley Cups at the peak of Edmonton's 1980s dynasty. He added a fourth ring to his collection in 1991 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While his NHL experience as a coach is limited in comparison to his career achievements, it's hard to imagine a better skills teacher than Coffey, who ranks second all-time in scoring among defenseman with 1,531 points in 1,409 games.

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Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of USA hockey and general manager of the 2018 men's Olympic team, died Sunday morning.

He was 53 years old.

“We are beyond shocked and profoundly saddened,” Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey said in a statement. “As accomplished as Jim was in hockey, he was the absolute best, most humble, kind and caring person you could ever hope to meet. His impact on our sport and more importantly the people and players in our sport have been immeasurable. Our condolences go out to his entire family, but especially to his loving wife Abby and their young daughter Ellie.”

Johansson won an NCAA national title with Wisconsin in 1983, and represented the United States as a player at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics.

Upon joining USA Hockey in 2000, he worked with 10 national junior teams, and was involved in the leadership group for the 2006 and 2010 Olympic teams.

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New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock had himself an evening Saturday.

The 23-year-old became the eighth rookie defenseman in NHL history to record five points in a single game, according to TSN's StatsCentre.

That's based on the rookie standards put in place in 1990-91, which require rookies to be 26 or under.

He also became the first Islanders rookie defenseman to ever score five points in a game, according to Shannon Hogan of MSG Networks.

Pulock tallied one goal and four assists in the Islanders' 7-3 destruction of the Chicago Blackhawks. He's the first rookie blue-liner to achieve the five-point feat since Alexandre Picard did so for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2007.

Saturday's effort gives Pulock 14 points on the season in 34 games.

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