The goaltending of Connor Hellebuyck in the first two games is a key reason why the visiting Winnipeg Jets have a chance to win their three-game series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
The teams split the first two games.
Hellebuyck has been superb in the first two games as Winnipeg took the opener 4-3 on Tuesday and forced the Maple Leafs to overtime on Thursday before losing 4-3.
"Me, personally, I stole a lot of goals (Thursday)," said Hellebuyck, who made 34 saves, many of them spectacular.
He could not stop a backhand by Auston Matthews, however, 59 seconds into overtime.
"He played really well," said Matthews, who has 21 goals. "You've got to tip your hat to him, he made some incredible saves. We had some really good looks, some really good chances and he came up big. ... I'm proud of the way everybody really stuck with it."
Paul Stastny had tied the game for Winnipeg late in the third period with Hellebuyck off for an extra attacker.
"Our goalie was outstanding, there's no question," Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. "That should be the storyline. He stood on his head for us. But we also have a locker room full of guys who played their (butts) off, too."
Hellebuyck was asked if he felt as if he was being "hung out to dry" through parts of the game.
"I'm never going to use those words," he said. "I did my job. The guys in front of me got us to OT, so they clearly did their job. Not every night is going to be perfect. Not every night is going to be a defensive win, not every night you're going to get the best goaltending. That's what I love about this team. We have it all and we can do it all."
Nikolaj Ehlers had two goals and an assist for the Jets. He leads the team with 13 goals.
The victory by the Maple Leafs ended the first three-game losing streak since Sheldon Keefe took over on Nov. 20, 2019.
The Maple Leafs have completed the first half of their 56-game regular season with a record of 19-7-2 (40 points).
Matthews has three goals in the series (two on Tuesday) in the series after going five games without one. He has been playing with a wrist injury that forced him to miss two games.
The overtime goal was scored after a slash broke the stick of Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly deep in Toronto's end, with no penalty called. Rielly skated to the bench to get a new stick before setting up Matthews, after getting the puck from Mitchell Marner.
"Elite talent," Keefe said. "(Matthews) is a star, that's what they do. The condition of his hand and stuff aside, he was quite tired there, too. That was a long shift. A long shift in overtime. Overtime shifts are difficult. Just to have the energy to get up the ice and put himself in that spot amongst the chaos of the broken stick and all of that nonsense that was happening. That's big-time stuff."
The Jets will be without defenseman Nathan Beaulieu (hand) for an extended period. He was placed on injured reserve after being hurt on Tuesday while blocking a shot. Defenseman Logan Stanley was promoted from the taxi squad and played 11 minutes on Thursday.
--Field Level Media