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Jets' Road Woes Extend Beyond Connor Hellebuyck

To break their losing streak away from home, the Winnipeg Jets need everyone to step up.

Jon Alfano

Winnipeg Jets players celebrates a goal scored by forward Nikolaj Ehlers against the Dallas Stars.
Winnipeg Jets players celebrates a goal scored by forward Nikolaj Ehlers against the Dallas Stars. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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In order to stave off elimination Saturday night against the Dallas Stars, the Winnipeg Jets need to do something they haven't done all postseason: win on the road.

The Jets, who won the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's best regular-season team, have been a completely different team on the road this postseason, and not in a good way. While they have a strong 6-1 record at Canada Life Centre, they're an atrocious 0-5 away from their own building. They've also been outscored 25-8 in those games.

Much of the blame for Winnipeg's road woes has been directed at star goalie Connor Hellebuyck, and it's understandable why.

Hellebuyck, who turns 32 on Monday, has vastly underperformed on the road this postseason with a .793 save percentage and a 5.84 goals-against average. Going back further, he has a .831 save percentage, a 5.50 goals-against average and an 0-9 record in his past nine road playoff games dating back to 2023.

Hellebuyck has been bad on the road, there's no doubt about that. However, he's far from the only issue plaguing Winnipeg in that regard.

As previously mentioned, the Jets only have eight goals in five road games. No matter how you slice it, that's just not good enough, especially with so many talented scorers on the roster such as Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers.

The defense has also been awful on the road, allowing far too many odd-man rushes and net-front chances. There are some goals that Hellebuyck absolutely should've made the save on, but there are also many where the team in front of him simply left him out to dry.

With all that going against them, the Jets now have to beat a Stars team that is 5-1 at American Airlines Center this postseason just to force a Game 7 back at home. Without major changes, it's hard to have faith that Winnipeg will come through.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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