WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Connor Hellebuyck was happy to have a hand in helping the Winnipeg Jets get some payback.
Less that 24 hours after Winnipeg was shut out in St. Louis, Hellebuyck made 24 saves as the Jets returned the favor with a 4-0 victory over the Blues on Sunday night.
“We kind of deserved this one because (of Saturday’s 2-0 loss). I thought we were the better team,” said Hellebuyck, who sat out the loss in favor of backup Steve Mason. “It’s very satisfying and I think it’s better for the guys in this room because now they know that they did play the right way and they continued to play the right way.”
Hellebuyck got his second shutout of the season and eighth of his career. It came one night after Carter Hutton stopped 48 shots for the Blues in their win at home.
Jake Allen was back in goal for St. Louis and finished with 42 saves in the loss.
“Too many shots against. That’s not us,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. “We’re typically one of the top teams in the league for shot suppression and chance suppression. A little bit too easy to play against the last couple games.”
Patrik Laine got his team-high 16th goal of the season, and Adam Lowry, Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey also scored for Winnipeg. Morrissey also had an assist, and Andrew Copp and Jacob Trouba added two each to help the Jets improve to 2-4-1 in their last seven games.
Lowry got the Jets on the scoreboard at 4:32 of the second. Brandon Tanev brought the puck behind the St. Louis net and was hit by two Blues players with the puck popping loose. Copp picked it up and sent a pass in the crease to Lowry, who put it in for his fifth of the season.
Scheifele scored his 15th when he re-directed Morrissey’s shot from near the top of the circle at with 8:06 left in the third to make it 3-0.
Morrissey then capped the scoring less than two minutes later with his shot from the high slot.
Jets coach Paul Maurice liked the way his team responded in the return game at home.
“They’re a little frustrated things didn’t go their way (Saturday). They handled it the right way,” Maurice said. “It’s always a very fine line. You need to stay in the game, the style of game you play best and they did that.”
The Jets outshot the Blues 12-9 in a scoreless first period, with both goalies making some key saves.
NOTES: D Pietrangelo was back in the Blues’ lineup after the captain missed four games with a lower-body injury. He logged just over 20 minutes of ice time. … Winnipeg went 1 for 4 on the power play while St. Louis was 0 for 4.
UP NEXT
Blues: At Calgary on Wednesday night in the second of a four-game trip.
Jets: At Nashville on Tuesday night to open a three-game trip.
Photo credit – Trevor Hagan / The Canadian Press via AP / Winnipeg, MT
