Jets coach Scott Arniel drops Connor Hellebuyck truth bomb after Game 3

It’s been a tale of two Connor Hellebuyck’s so far in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Hart Trophy finalist has been excellent on home ice for the Winnipeg Jets, but he’s struggled mightily on the road, posting a .772 save percentage and a 6.65 goals-against average away from Canada Life Centre after a 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of Round 2 on Sunday afternoon.

Despite Hellebuyck’s road struggles, Jets head coach Scott Arniel wants to see a better effort all around from his President’s Trophy-winning squad.

“We’re going to be judged, not just Connor, by what happens on the road,” Arniel told reporters afterwards, per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. “We’ve got to win. They came into our building and took home ice away from us. We’ve got to win here. And so everything that we have is going to be pushed into Game 4 here to get this thing evened up going back into our building.”

Winnipeg trailed twice in the contest before knotting the score 2-2 midway through the second period. But Dallas put three past Hellebuyck in the final frame, including a controversial game-winning goal that was kicked in by Stars defenseman Alex Petrovic but counted after a lengthy review.

“The Situation Room initiated a video review to further examine if Alexander Petrovic kicked the puck into the Winnipeg net. Video was then used to determine if the puck made contact with Petrovic’s stick prior to it entering the net,” the NHL said in a statement. “After looking at all available replays, video review supported the Referee’s call on the ice that Connor Hellebuyck propelled the puck into his own net.”

Although Arniel made it clear he thought “that is no goal,” the Stars scored twice more in the period to ice the 5-2 final. The Jets are now down 2-1 in the series, and will need to win on the road in Game 4 or face elimination later this week.

“Obviously, it’s a big moment,” Arniel said of the review, per NHL.com’s Taylor Baird. “But at the end of the day, we have to be ready. They came out and jumped on us. We have to be ready for that next shift and we gave up that quick one. But I like a lot of what we did. I don’t think it got us rattled. I think that we got back on our heels a little bit on that next one and we gave up a rush against that top line.”

Jets just can’t find a win on the road this postseason

The Jets lost all three games they played in Round 1 against the St. Louis Blues on the road, and are now 0-4 away from home in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Without home-ice advantage on their side in Round 2, if they can’t reverse the road futility, it’ll be another disappointing postseason exit this spring. But the story of Game 3 was Dallas’ third goal, which coach Pete DeBoer believes — not surprisingly — was the right call.

“I believe the rule reads that if [Hellebuyck is] making a play on the puck, that it’s a goal. So, that’s the difference,” DeBoer said, per Wyshynski. “Does it just deflect it off him or is he trying to make a play with the puck? I think they got it right.”

Hellebuyck has now lost eight of his last nine road playoff games, and against a Stars team of this caliber, Game 4 feels like a must-win for Arniel’s group.

Puck is set to drop on the critical contest just past 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.