What a year it's been! Dragging himself up from being the worst goalie in the league to the best has been no small feat for this quirky young man from Commerce, Michigan. But he's done it... he's now the leading goal tender in the NHL. Just like this web site has always stated, Connor Hellebuyck is the goalie the Jets have always been looking for. I think Lord Stanley has a trophy waiting for the boys at the end of season unless Hellebuyck starts screwing up again... which he is likely to do, given his track record. At least he hasn't been a sieve this year - just lazy. Keep those pucks out of your office Jellybuck and you'll be OK. Remember, you have ONE JOB!
Kyle Connor is lovingly called KC by his teammates. It's short for Casey, the lovable puppet on Mr. Dressup, which Kyle is the spitting image of. Kyle is also known for bringing his velour dog "Finnegan" to most practices. Finnegan provides most of the frozen "pucks" the team uses to practice with.
Little known fact... Mark Scheifele is never caught without his switch blade. Whether he's using it to pick meat out of his teeth or just having a friendly game of "Chicken" with his buddy Connor Hellebuyck, he's always bringing a laugh to the locker room. Bonus points if you also knew his second nickname is "Flea".
Little Nikki Ehlers goes by the name of "Fly" because of his deep love of all things sugar. He's seen constantly licking his fingers after filling his face with chocolate bars, lollipops and pure table sugar. Nik is also called "Goat Boy" by some fans.
The story with Jack Roslovic is that he was named after his favourite town in Manitoba, Rosenort. I think the real reason he got his nickname is actually from his penchant for bringing roses to Connor Hellebuyck before every game. (Connor loves it!)
The hottest goalie in the league (number one for saves, goals against and twitchy eyes) is nicknamed "Jellybuck" simply because it rhymes. Paul Maurice sometimes calls him "Casey" when he mixes him up with Kyle Connor.
Like I’ve been saying all along, Connor Hellebuyck is the answer the Jets have been looking for all season. He is quite likely the best goalie the NHL has ever seen - certainly in the last 20 years. I literally cannot recall the last goal this guy has let in. Remember the US Thanksgiving rule and look where the Jets are. Looks like we'll finally be bringing the cup home. MARK MY WORDS.
Is it so hard? You make $6 million a year. Think about it.
I am a fan, so it hurts to say this, but if the coaching staff cannot see all the goals that go in because Connor Hellebuyck is on his knees and they stubbornly keep playing him, then they have no chance.
He is too easy to score on; every player knows he will go down and expose top corners and holes. It does not matter how many “good saves” a goalie makes when he lets in a soft one every game.
Run the video; these are saves a real NHL goalie makes.
I will bet your next paycheque there are teammates who grumble when the soft ones happen and team morale and spirit are as important as talent.
Head coach Paul Maurice continues to show stubbornness and hope in his decision-making and, if he doesn’t take action, those are the signs of a coach that needs to go.
He needs to have his goalie coach go as well — he has failed to teach standup goaltending to several players in a row.
There is time to save the season, Kevin Cheveldayoff — you also cannot manage by being stubborn.
Also Dennis Beyak, you should know better. Shots on goal are like moose-track soup or fishing bites — who cares? — so stop dwelling on these numbers.
JOHN ZAPLITNY
Carman
Finally! Somebody who sees Hellebuyck for who he is! John Zaplitny of Carman, Manitoba makes some great points - including one I hadn't thought of - Paul Maurice must go too. Paul Maurice has become the epitome of stubbornness when it comes to Connie Hellebuyck. Paul, just because you made a mistake in backing him for so long doesn't mean you can't change your mind and get rid of Hellebuyck now. In fact, why don't you put Bryan Little in goal? He seems to like taking pucks to the head. Maybe while we're at it we should get rid of all the Hellebuyck cheerleaders - Maurice, Cheveldayoff, Beyak and Sawyer.
I had a disturbing email from a new fan of crang.com. He asks:
"What's with the lag time between Hellebuyck bashing? Seems like you're taking a break. Have you been threatened, are you in fear for your life?? Has Big Bad Buff and his boyfriend paid you a visit? 😉 I’m here for ya buddy, hang in there don’t let the man stop you from bashing Hellebuyck!"
RR
Thanks for the words of encouragement RR. I thought I was preaching in the darkness. I'll try to come up with more ways to bash Hellebuyck. But speaking of Big Bad Buff, what's the deal? Are the Jets just going to pretend he doesn't exist? Tell us what's happening! After all, we pay his salary...
Big Bad Buff and his boyfriend
Stop the puck. The Jets haven't got a chance with this $6 million dollar buffoon in net.
I'm not sure if they're dating, but Sawyer is definitely deeply in love with Hellebuyck. No matter how poorly Hellebuyck plays, Sawyer can't stop raving about how beautiful he is. What do you think?
He liked a lot of his game? A comment like this is proof positive this guy needs to be dumped. Letting in 5 goals out of 31 shots is more than unacceptable Connor... it's bush league. At least you've made it easy for Laurent Brossoit to get top spot. It's just too damn bad that Chevy isn't such a genius after all and signed such a ridiculous contract with such a flash in the pan.