It`s fortunate for the Winnipeg Jets that Game 7 will be played on home ice.
Star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck continues to face significant difficulties when playing on the road during the playoffs.
The Hart Trophy finalist experienced another challenging outing during Friday`s game in St. Louis. He surrendered four consecutive goals in the second period, which propelled the Blues to a substantial 5-1 lead in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series. The Blues ultimately secured a 5-2 victory, thereby evening the series at three games apiece.
Following his performance, Jets coach Scott Arniel made a change, replacing Hellebuyck with Eric Comrie at the commencement of the third period. Notably, Hellebuyck did not finish any of the three road games played in this series.
This trend represents a concerning pattern for Hellebuyck. According to statistics, he has become just the third goaltender in NHL history to concede four or more goals in seven consecutive playoff games played away from his home arena.
Examining his record in his previous six playoff appearances away from Winnipeg, the two-time Vezina Trophy recipient held a win-loss record of 0-6, accompanied by a 5.72 goals-against average and a .835 save percentage.
His goals-against average in the current series specifically on the road stands at 7.24, a stark contrast to his 2.33 GAA when playing at home.
Remarkably, the home team has emerged victorious in all six contests contested thus far in the Jets-Blues series.
The deciding Game 7 is scheduled to take place on Sunday in Winnipeg.
