Connor Hellebuyck believes the boxscore doesn't tell the whole story.
The Winnipeg Jets goalie doesn't think his play was the reason his team lost in five games to the Colorado Avalanche in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In fact, he claims he was locked in.
"You're probably not going to believe when I say I was playing the best hockey of my career, but that's truly how I was feeling," Hellebuyck said Thursday. "Not only was I playing some of my best hockey, but I was in that zone where you're not thinking, you're just playing. That's what you seek after. That's a dangerous thing in sports. To not be able to keep four goals off the board, it's heartbreaking."
Hellebuyck allowed at least four goals in each contest and failed to post a save percentage better than .872 in any single game. For the series, he registered an .864 save percentage and a 5.23 goals-against average.
However, Hellebuyck also faced the most shots, made the most saves, and allowed the most goals of any netminder in the postseason. His minus-6.47 goals saved above expected represents the worst of any goalie in the playoffs, per Evolving-Hockey.
The 30-year-old credited the Avalanche for taking away his eyes via net-front screens.
"You gotta give them some kudos for what they did, but looking back, I don't know if I even saw half the pucks go in the net," he said. "They did a great job, but for me to not be able to put my foot down on a single game is really heartbreaking because it's not typically how I do things."
Hellebuyck is a heavy favorite to win his second career Vezina Trophy after posting a .921 save percentage, a 2.39 goals-against average, and an NHL-best 39.35 goals saved above expected in 60 regular-season games.
Jets captain Adam Lowry believes the team didn't play well enough defensively.
"We gave up so many Grade-A (chances)," Lowry said. "Hearing (Hellebuyck) say what he did, there's not really much he can do."
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