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I’m not saying your St. Louis Blues have succeeded in their full-scale invasion to destabilize the psyched-out mind of Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
But I’m pretty sure if medics could get an accurate scan of Hellebuyck’s cerebellum, the docs would likely see a Blue Note emblem in there. The hind part of the brain is responsible for balance, posture, coordination, and fine motor skills. Hellebuyck did not fit this general description.
These assets evidently malfunctioned and operated at something less than full capability for poor Hellebuyck in Games 3 and 4 at Enterprise Center.
The Blues tied this best-of-seven first round series with the Jets for many reasons, including the restoration of their rugged 5-on-5 foundation that was largely absent in the two losses at Winnipeg.
In the first two games of this series, the Jets outscored the Blues 5-1 at five-on-five. But in the two games St. Louis, the Blues ripped the Jets for 9 of the 11 goals scored by the teams at 5v5 play.
But this series is level because the Blues leveled Hellebuyck. They had him wobbled early in Game 1 at Winnipeg but didn’t get in front of him enough times to put his vulnerability in play. The same was true in Game 2. But the Blues – with more bodies in dilating Hellebuyck’s pupils – would have won both games … or certainly one of the two.
When the series moved to The Lou, the Blues took Hellebuyck down – hard – in two wild games played within St. Louis city limits … but with no limits on the Blues’ getting into Hellebuyck’s cage. No arrests were made.
The Blues came after Hellebuyck with such fury, and in such large numbers, I’m pretty sure his goal crease had more people in it than the Cardinals during their three-game series against the Brewers at Busch Stadium down the street.
The Blues decided to hang out in front of Hellebuyck’s door, on his stoop. And like bad guests who won’t leave your house when it’s time to go, the Blues refused to vacate Hellebuyck’s space. Squatters!
It was such a party going on in front of him, I thought I saw “Hometown Hero” Pat Maroon crushing a beer and firing the empty into Hellebuyck’s net. I was probably imagining things.
The Blues ravaged Winnipeg in two blowouts in which the home team outscored the visitors 12-3. Hellebuyck couldn’t survive either attack on his castle, and Winnipeg’s coach removed Hellebuyck from both blitzes for safety reasons. The gasping goaltender may have gone to sleep Sunday night with flashbacks of Blues fans chanting at him – and the evil echoes bouncing on the walls of his noggin.
Before Hellebuyck was led to a secure room, where no Blues could get to him, he had yielded 11 goals on 43 shots in the two sessions of shooting practice. That’s a save percentage of .744 … so awful, it looks like a misprint, or maybe a practical joke by the stats crew.
Memo to the Jets: do not show these sheets to your starting goaltender. Hellebuyck may have a PTSD episode and start jabbering incoherently about the horrors he’s endured.
Think of Brando near the end of “Apocalypse Now.” Yes, that’s a dated film reference, but I don’t care … So hush up, all of you people who think the golden age of cinema began with “The Hangover” in 2009.
I think we can agree with this much: Coming to St. Louis was not Hellebuyck’s first choice for a tourism spot. It was pure Hell for Hellebuyck, and I’m not exactly being creative there. Hell for Hellebuyck is hardly original. But it fits, and I’m getting tired of writing on this day. What’s another hack at Hellebuyck?
“You watch the replay of the goals that went in. I mean their deflections, their screens, they’re bouncing off us and in,” Jets defenseman Luke Schenn told reporters after Sunday’s 5-1 loss.
Yeah, and that’s the entire point … which the Jets miss almost as much as Hellebuyck whiffs on making saves.
Sure, the Blues are putting a lot of traffic in front of Hellebuyck. That’s by design. The slot and crease looks like that hideous intersection in our hamlet where Interstate 64 and I-55 meet I-44.
On the other hand, Hellebuyck hasn’t reacted well. (Would you?) And with so many bodies parked in neutral about six inches from his torso, who the heck is going to clear the Blues out of there?
Have you seen Winnipeg’s top four defensemen? These fellows would not be confused with Zdeno Chara. Perhaps Hellebuyck can hide some pepper spray in his pads before Game 5.
More than that, however, is the traffic pattern the Blues want. It’s a shame they didn’t adjust during Games 1 and 2. But before Game 3, Blues coach Jim Montgomery ordered his defenseman to turn the rink into a driving range. Keep blasting tee shots – or fades, or chips – to the goal, and put the puck into the maze of appendages in front of Hellebuyck.
That’s a challenge for a large goalie who likes to play deep in his own goal so he can read, study, and analyze plays as the action enters Winnipeg’s defensive zone. Is an NHL rink the best place to play chess? Probably not. Especially now, because the Blues aren’t giving Hellebuyck time to think … or even blink.
In the first two games of this series, Blues defensemen took 33.3 percent of the team’s shots on goal at five-on-five. And as a group, the Blues defensemen didn’t score a goal and had one assist in at five-on-five in the two tilts.
In Games 3 and 4, the St. Louis D-men cranked 52.3 percent (!) of the team’s shots on net at five-on-five. And well, look at this: Blues defensemen, as a group, had two goals and five assists at five-on-five in the two victories.
The Blues’ staff did its homework, taking note of how Colorado felled Hellebuyck in the 2024 – and just as Vegas did in 2023. So the Blues put lots of humanity in front of Hellebuyck to make him uncomfortable. I’d hate to see this dude in a crowded elevator, going from the ground floor to the top of a high-rise building. Does he pass out?
There is something to this. Hellebuyck is a distinguished goaltender who will likely win the big goaltending prize, The Vezina Trophy, again this season. But he’s not exactly nimble when tucking himself into a crouch, his vision somewhat impaired, anchored in place as a stationary bullseye.
Postseason hockey is a helluva lot different than regular-season hockey, and the difference does not appear to benefit Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck in 187 regular-season games since the start of 2022-23 campaign: .922 save percentage, goals-against average of 2.29, and a record of 121-56-9.
Hellebuyck in 14 postseason games over the last two-plus seasons: .866 save percentage, 4.27 goals-against average, 4-10 record.
Hellebuyck’s opposite is Jordan Binnington. He’s smaller than Hellebuyck. Scrawnier than Hellebuyck. Not as physically imposing as Hellebuyck. But Binnington performance is strongest when the games are large in pressure and magnitude. He’s a gulo gulo. (Look it up, kids.)
Binnington won the duel against Hellebuyck in the 4 Nations Faceoff championship, lifting Canada to a win over Team USA. But their history goes back to 2019 when the two goaltenders squared off in the first round of the NHL playoffs. Hellebuyck actually played well, but the Blues won the opening series in six games
Binnington and Hellebuyck have now faced each other in 10 NHL playoff games since Binner made his NHL postseason debut in ‘19. The Blues – underdogs now as they were in 2019 – have gotten the best of the Jets overall.
Here are the numbers on each goaltender during the 10 head-to-head NHL postseason matchups pitting their teams:
Hellebuyck: 4-6 record, .883 save percentage, 3.25 goals-against average, .400 quality-start percentage, .300 bad-start percentage. Hellebuyck is a minus 6.2 goals saved above average in the 10 games against Binnington.
Binnington: 6-4 record, .907 save percentage, 2.50 goals-against average, .700 quality-start percentage, .200 bad-start percentage, +0.3 goals saved above average.
In the 10 conflicts, Binnington has yielded two goals or less in a game seven times, and given up more than three goals only twice.
In the 10 starts vs. Binnington, Hellebuyck has allowed two goals or less in a game only three times, and let in more than three goals three times.
The Blues and Jets will now collide for at least two more games. It’s a best-of-three series now, and one of these NHL Central division teams will have a 3-2 lead when the competition returns to St. Louis for Friday’s Game 5.
And if we think goaltending will decide this competition, the Blues sure seem to have an advantage with J. Binnington. He isn’t infallible, or course. But Binnington was nothing short of spectacular in leading the Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup as a rookie, and Binnington’s championship pedigree was enhanced by the win over Hellebuyck in the 4 Nations title bout.
We’d probably take Hellebuyck over Binnington in a regular-season setting. But I don’t see a regular-season schedule around here, do you? But this is the postseason. The mean season. The cruel season. The money season. A season that takes players down, and teams down. A season that fulfills – or kills – dreams.
Binnington has proven he can handle everything, including intense pressure, at this time of year. Is there a way for the Jets to borrow Nazem Kadri from Calgary and put him in the lineup to take Binnington out on a dirty hit?
Hellebuyck? He’s now 20-29 in the postseason for his career, and that includes a 4-14 record and .874 save percentage in his last 18 playoff games. I believe that’s a pattern. And this should make Jets fans anxious.
In Binner, the Blues have a proven winner. The mean season doesn’t rattle him. Binnington is bloodless. He doesn’t feel anything. He keeps cool and steady as he hunts for pucks with his radar mind.
The Binnington mind is a weapon. Hellebuyck’s mind appears to be a weakness. Is that fair? I dunno, but it’s harsh, for sure. That’s the narrative, and it’s up to Hellebuyck to change it.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
Bernie was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. During a St. Louis sports-media career that goes back to 1985, he’s won multiple national awards for column writing and sports-talk hosting. You can access all of his columns and videos here on SportsHubSTL, catch him weekdays on the “Gashouse Gang” or “Redbird Rush Hour” on KMOX (1120-AM, 104.1-FM), and he is a regular guest of “Cardinal Territory” video show hosted by Katie Woo of The Athletic.