Connor Hellebuyck registers 19th career NHL shutout

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck of Commerce, MI recorded his 19th career National Hockey League shutout on Thursday. Hellebuyck made 34 saves as the Jets defeated the Washington Capitals 3-0 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Hellebuyck made seven saves in the first period, 13 saves in the second period and 14 saves in the third period. Alexander Ovechkin, who scored his 701st National Hockey League career goal in a 4-3 Capitals win over the Jets on Tuesday, and Lars Eller of Rodovre, Denmark, each led the Capitals with four shots on goal.

Offensively for Winnipeg on Thursday, the Jets got one goal and one assist each from Mark Scheifele of Kitchener, Ontario and Kyle Connor of Clinton, MI. The other Jets goal scorer was Dmitri Kulikov of Lipetsk, Russia.

With the shutout, Hellebuyck is now tied for the NHL lead this season in shutouts with five. He is tied with Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins of Riga, Latvia and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury of Sorel, Quebec.

In 53 games this season, Hellebuyck has a record of 27 wins, 20 regulation losses and five losses in extra time. He has a goals against average of 2.67 and a save percentage of .920.

So far this season, Hellebuyck blanked the Edmonton Oilers 1-0 on October 20, beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 on November 29, the Minnesota Wild 6-0 on December 21 and the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 on January 14. All 19 of Hellebuyck’s NHL career shutouts since the 2015-16 regular season have been with the Jets.

The Jets meanwhile are in a huge battle for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. At 33 wins, 27 losses and six losses in extra time, Winnipeg has 72 points and are tied for fourth place in the Central Division and eighth place in the Western Conference with the Nashville Predators. On Thursday, the Predators had a dramatic 4-3 overtime win over the Calgary Flames. Mikael Granlund of Oulu, Finland scored the game tying goal with a tenth of a second left in overtime and then won it at 1:20 of overtime.