Jets 5, Capitals 1: Hellebuyck Steadies the Ship
The Winnipeg Jets picked the right night to look like themselves again. With Connor Hellebuyck back in the crease, the Jets rolled to a 5–1 win over the Washington Capitals at Canada Life Centre, controlling the game almost from the opening faceoff.
It wasn’t flashy early, but it was firm. Winnipeg scored twice in the first period, protected the middle of the ice, and never let Washington find any rhythm. As the game wore on, the Jets looked more comfortable, more connected — the kind of calm that tends to show up when No. 37 is back where he belongs.
For a team that had dropped three straight games, this felt less like a bounce-back and more like a reset.
Key Point One: Connor Hellebuyck’s Return Changed the Room
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 24 of 25 shots in his first game since mid-November, and his presence alone settled things down. The Jets defended with purpose, blocked shots, and let him see pucks — a sign of trust as much as structure. When your Vezina and Hart Trophy winner is back, everyone stands a little taller.
Key Point Two: The Jets’ Depth Did the Heavy Lifting
This wasn’t a one-line night. Logan Stanley opened the scoring with a heads-up finish, Morgan Barron made it 2–0 late in the first, and Alex Iafallo quietly pushed the game out of reach early in the second. Gabriel Vilardi’s two goals were the exclamation points, but the foundation was built by all four lines leaning in.
Key Point Three: A Few Jets Reached Milestones and Kept Momentum
Nino Niederreiter played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the first Switzerland-born player to hit the mark, and the Jets clearly wanted to make it count. Josh Morrissey picked up his 400th career point, Kyle Connor extended his point streak to eight games, and the familiar Connor–Mark Scheifele connection added another chapter to franchise history.
Final Thoughts from the Jets’ Perspective
This was what it’s supposed to look like—structured hockey, layers through the neutral zone, and patience with the puck. The Jets didn’t chase offence — they let it come to them.
Connor Hellebuyck doesn’t just stop pucks; he stabilizes habits. With him back, Winnipeg looked like a team that knows exactly how it wants to play and trusts itself to do it.
One game doesn’t fix everything, but nights like this remind you why the ceiling still matters. Now comes the challenge: doing it again.