- Connor Hellebuyck is 4-0 with the Devils after a 5-4 overtime win over the Blues
- He called the giveaway that led to St. Louis’ tying goal “a mistake”
- Read below for video of Hellebuyck’s postgame interview and a look at his four starts
Connor Hellebuyck is perfect through four games in a Devils sweater, but he didn’t pretend Thursday night was clean.
The goalie gave the puck away in the right circle late in the third period, and the Blues turned it into the tying goal in a 5-4 New Jersey win in overtime. Hellebuyck was asked about the play afterward and didn’t dress it up.
“I’ll just call it a mistake, how about that?”
Dalibor Dvorsky tied it 4-4 with a tip-in at 14:54 after Connor McMichael stole Hellebuyck’s attempted pass. That came 18 seconds after Philip Broberg made it 4-3, part of three St. Louis goals in 3:08 that erased a 4-1 Devils lead. Jesper Bratt ended it 1:26 into overtime on a breakaway.
Watch Hellebuyck’s full postgame interview from the Devils’ locker room:
He also talked about what the late collapse means for the Devils.
“These moments are going to define a season. This will probably be forgotten in a week but the lesson learned from it won’t be, right?”
Anthony Mantha, who scored twice and added an assist, stuck up for his goalie. “Even if [Hellebuyck] takes the blame for two goals, he saved us how many goals tonight?” Mantha said. “We’re giving up 30-something shots, which isn’t like us and he stood up for us.”
Hellebuyck made 28 saves on 32 shots. He has won every start since the Oct. 23 trade from the Jets, and he became the second goalie in franchise history to win his first four games with the club. John Vanbiesbrouck did it in 2000-01.
Here’s how each of his four Devils starts has gone:
| Date | Opponent | Result | GA | SA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 27 | Stars | W | 1 | 18 | .944 |
| Oct. 30 | Golden Knights | W | 2 | 21 | .905 |
| Nov. 3 | Oilers | W | 3 | 21 | .857 |
| Nov. 5 | Blues | W | 4 | 32 | .875 |
| Total | 4-0 | 10 | 92 | .891 |
The save percentage sits at .891 with a 2.44 goals-against average, and the Devils are 11-5-0 overall. We covered his home debut win over the Oilers earlier this week, and he explained his side of the move in a letter to Jets fans.
Four wins against four different opponents, and one giveaway he already owned.
