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Carolyn Kaster \/ The Associated Press<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets\u2019 goalie Connor Hellebuyck, right, has laid claim on the No. 1 job with the United States Olympic team following a pair of solid starts, the most recent coming Sunday night in a 5-1 victory over Germany.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think he was tracking pucks extremely well. He was composed,\u201d said American coach Mike Sullivan.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of pucks just hit him, and he makes it look easy the way he squares up to pucks. His rebound control, he swallowed everything. There was no rebounds for Germany to have an opportunity to create a next play. I thought this was his very best. You could feel his confidence from the bench just watching him make the saves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hellebuyck made a strong first impression Thursday night, stopping 17 of 18 shots in a 5-1 win over Latvia. He got a rest Saturday when Jeremy Swayman drew the start against Denmark, struggling mightily in what turned into a tougher-than-it-should-have-been 6-3 victory that included two particularly ugly goals.<\/p>\n
Back in the crease Sunday, Hellebuyck was much busier against a German lineup featuring several stars, including Leon Draisaitl, J.J. Peterka and Tim St\u00fctzle, who was the only player to beat him on the night. Hellebuyck turned aside 23 shots, giving him a .952 save percentage through round-robin play to go along with a 1.00 goals-against average.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n
\t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \u201cHe\u2019s so steady. He has so much fun out there, and I think for us seeing that, it just kind of gives us a boost of confidence,\u201d said U.S. captain Auston Matthews, who led the way offensively with two goals and an assist.<\/p>\n \u201cNever really seems like he\u2019s in a panic or anything. He\u2019s just in such good position and that\u2019s why he\u2019s one of the best in the world. Obviously that\u2019s a guy that we\u2019ve got a lot of faith in back there.\u201d<\/p>\n Defenceman Zach Werenski spoke Sunday night about working out with Hellebuyck during the summer in Michigan and getting an up-close look at what makes him tick.<\/p>\n \u201cI know how hard it is to score on him consistently,\u201d said Werenski, who plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s just super solid back there. He\u2019s steady, doesn\u2019t give up much, doesn\u2019t give up any rebounds and it makes us have a calming presence in front of him.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Carolyn Kaster \/ The Associated Press<\/p>\n Team U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 23 shots Sunday against Germany, giving him a .952 save percentage through round-robin play and a 1.00 goals-against average.<\/p>\n It hasn\u2019t been the easiest season in Winnipeg for Hellebuyck, who arrived at training camp dealing with lingering knee pain before eventually opting for arthroscopic surgery that sidelined him for nearly a month.<\/p>\n He hasn\u2019t been nearly as sharp since returning in late November, and the Jets are languishing near the bottom of the National Hockey League standings after winning the Presidents\u2019 Trophy last year.<\/p>\n Hellebuyck has spoken often about his hunger to win a Stanley Cup one day \u2014 and an Olympic gold medal sits high on that wish list, too.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep building the game every day. Don\u2019t worry about what the other team brings. Just bring your game,\u201d said Hellebuyck.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone in front of me is so skilled and does their job so to a T that you can really rely and trust everyone around you. I think everyone on the team has their own unique skill set and they bring it. It\u2019s a complete team, so everyone, everyone\u2019s needed.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, maybe not quite everyone.<\/p>\n Kyle Connor, who has scored 26 goals this season for the Jets while playing on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Gabe Vilardi, was largely invisible through his first two Olympic games. He didn\u2019t record a single shot on goal and saw his ice time reduced to just over nine minutes in Saturday\u2019s contest.<\/p>\n By Sunday, that number was down to zero.<\/p>\n Connor was a healthy scratch, with forward Clayton Keller \u2014 who also happens to be his roommate in the athletes\u2019 village \u2014 drawing into the lineup in his place.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Petr David Josek \/ The Associated Press<\/p>\n United States\u2019 Kyle Connor stumbles during a preliminary round match against Denmark, Saturday. Connor did not play in Sunday\u2019s game against Germany.<\/p>\n It\u2019s fair to wonder if Connor\u2019s Olympics are effectively over. The Americans now head into the elimination round, beginning with Wednesday\u2019s quarterfinal against either Sweden or Latvia.<\/p>\n Assuming Sullivan sticks with Sunday\u2019s lineup, there\u2019s little reason to change course. Either the U.S. keeps winning \u2014 and why alter a winning formula \u2014 or the tournament ends in heartbreak.<\/p>\n For Connor, it\u2019s a case of d\u00e9j\u00e0-vu.<\/p>\n He struggled during last year\u2019s 4 Nations Face-Off and was a healthy scratch by the time his team reached the gold-medal game against Canada. He told the Free Press last week he had learned from that experience and used it as motivation.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, it didn\u2019t translate to his play on the ice.<\/p>\n www.winnipegfreepress.com\/mikemcintyre<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Mike McIntyre Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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