Connor Hellebuyck, the primary reason Team USA broke its 46-year Olympic men’s hockey gold medal drought, forever dispelled his previous tag of not being a big-game goaltender.
The three-time Vezina Trophy recipient and reigning Hart Trophy winner, proved to everyone why he’s so decorated and in need of a larger trophy cabinet. U.S. President Donald Trump even said on Tuesday he will award Hellebuyck the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Let’s dive into Hellebuyck’s five best performances, three of which came from his first trip to the NHL playoffs. Nobody will be surprised to see which is cemented in the No. 1 spot.
And I doubt he’ll ever top the performance we witnessed to culminate the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.
Connor Hellebuyck’s top 5 performances
5. 2017-18 playoffs (Game 4, first round)
Hellebuyck has five shutouts in 58 playoff games, two of which occurred in consecutive games in the first round of the 2017-18 postseason against the Minnesota Wild.
Hellebuyck made the identical number of saves in Games 4 and 5, with 30 each. Due to playing on the road with the series still hanging in the balance (2-1 Jets), his Game 4 performance was marginally better.
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The Jets won 2-0, leading to their Game 5 series clincher at home.
4. 2017-18 playoffs (Game 1, second round)
Playing in Nashville, one of the most inhospitable playoff environments, the Jets faced a daunting task against No. 1 seed Nashville in Game 1.
Hellebuyck made the 4-1 upset appear effortless despite the relentless barrage of attacks he was up against. He made 47 saves on 48 shots, finishing with a .979 save percentage.
Kevin Fiala broke Hellebuyck’s shutout bid early in the third period, but the Jets’ netminder was named the first star of the game.
3. 2020-21 playoffs (Game 2, first round)
The Jets stormed into Edmonton in the second straight COVID-impacted playoffs and prevailed 1-0 over the Oilers in overtime, thanks to Hellebuyck’s heroics.
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He made 38 saves against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Co., providing Winnipeg with a commanding 2-0 series lead heading back to Winnipeg for Game 3.
What made the goose egg even more impressive is the fact the Oilers haven’t been shut out in the playoffs at home since that fateful night at Rogers Place.
2. 2017-18 playoffs (Game 7, second round)
Easily his best Game 7 performance, Hellebuyck marched into Nashville and silenced the raucous home crowd.
He made 36 saves on 37 shots for a .973 save percentage, propelling the Jets to a 5-1 victory and securing their place in the Western Conference final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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Hellebuyck won three of four in Nashville during his most successful playoff series.
1. 2026 Olympic gold medal game
With the weight of a nation and a 46-year wait tossed on his shoulders, Hellebuyck stood taller than the world’s tallest building, assembling arguably the greatest goaltending performance in any competition, ever.
He faced 42 shots, many of which were of the high-danger variety, and turned aside 41. He made several monumental saves, including on Canada’s 5-on-3 second-period power play, and stopped McDavid and Macklin Celebrini on breakaways.
That merely scratches the surface of his fairytale-like performance on the world’s biggest stage.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA goalie Connor Hellebuyck top 5 games across NHL and Olympics
