Connor Hellebuyck's playoff struggles reveals the risks of over-adjusting
Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets (Credit: Getty Image)
Connor Hellebuyck
entered the 2025 playoffs riding the wave of a career-best season, along with the
Winnipeg Jets
finishing atop the NHL standings. This was backed by his league-leading stats, expectations were naturally high, and his dominance in the regular season, 47 wins, eight shutouts, and a 2.00 GAA.
These earned him a third Vezina Trophy nomination, but once the puck dropped in the postseason, the narrative shifted.
The first round exposed underlying performance issues
Winnipeg Jets end of season media availability: Connor Hellebuyck
Against the St. Louis Blues in Round 1, Hellebuyck's game faltered. He was pulled in three of the seven games. In those appearances, he allowed 16 goals on just 66 shots. The save percentage dropped drastically, hinting at more than just off nights. The Blues series raised questions, not just about results, but about his process.
While the Jets ultimately advanced, the goaltending concerns lingered.
Tweaks to the technique disrupted his rhythm
Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets (Credit: Getty Image)
Sources close to the team noted that Hellebuyck had adjusted aspects of his play ahead of the postseason. In a sport where consistency is crucial, these changes may have altered the natural flow of his game. Adjustments, meant to refine, instead seemed to create hesitation. Instead of reacting on instinct, he appeared locked in thought, reacting a split-second slower, deadly in playoff hockey.
A late mental reset brought improvement
By the time the Jets faced the Dallas Stars in Round 2, Hellebuyck looked more composed. He recorded two shutouts in six games and improved his GAA to 2.20. But the damage had already been done. Winnipeg was eliminated in overtime in Game 6. The numbers improved, but the team couldn't recover from the shaky start. Hellebuyck's late turnaround suggested that once he returned to his natural game, his confidence followed.
Read more:
Seth Jarvis, how behind NHL draft he raised as an evolutionary player in his journey
Hellebuyck's postseason showed that even elite players are vulnerable to overcorrection. In high-pressure situations, trusting what has worked all season may be more effective than chasing perfection. His performance was not defined by a lack of skill, but by a brief loss of identity in the crease. The Jets and their goaltender will likely carry that lesson into the next season, a reminder that small changes can have big consequences.
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