Murat Ates of The Athletic broke down the reason Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was so frustrated by the lack of a goaltender interference call in a recent game against the Lightning. Hellebuyck has been a vocal advocate for goaltender interference calls, going as far as presenting to the NHL’s competition committee, and was incensed after the game against Tampa Bay for giving up a goal with a player sitting in his lap.
Hellebuyck has been looking for the NHL to create a clear standard for goalie interference but has been unsuccessful thus far in his advocacy. Goaltender interference remains a hotly debated topic around NHL circles as more and more instances of differing opinions seem to be occurring around the league.
In other Western Conference notes:
- The Minnesota Wild have been a feel-good story this season, beginning the year with an 8-1-2 record which matches their best start in franchise history (as per John Buccigross). The Wild have scored a franchise record 41 goals in 11 games and have been bolstered by star Kirill Kaprizov who is currently tied for the NHL scoring lead with 21 points. On the backend, the Wild have also received elite goaltending from Filip Gustavsson who appears to have returned to the form he displayed two years ago and even has a goal of his own this season.
- Scott Powers of The Athletic writes that Chicago Blackhawks forward Lucas Reichel has worked to get his confidence back and the results are beginning to show. Last season the 22-year-old went from a second line center all the way back to the AHL and it appeared in training camp that his game was in the same place. However, since being paired with veterans Pat Maroon and Craig Smith, Reichel has turned a corner and has looked like the player that the Blackhawks were hoping he would be when they took him in the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Reichel has a goal and five assists in nine games this season while averaging just over 12 minutes per game.
I really thought Reichel was going to be a bust when he first came up. Glad he’s turning it around. It would be even nicer if I could watch it but since the Wirtz family and Reinsdorf could only afford a 10 Watt TV station with a range of about 30 feet I can’t watch them. No big loss though. Catching up on my DVR.
Reichel has 13 goals in four seasons, If that’s turning the corner then the standards have clearly been lowered.
Well turning it around isn’t really much to say. He’s always been fast but had a horrible shot and poor to fair puck control. The couple of games I have seen on TBS or ESPN he’s on the 2nd PP and skating with Bedard on occasion. He’s actually a lot more involved and picking up assist’s more than goals. I doubt he ever becomes a big time scorer, But at least he’s proving useful instead of being a zero every night. The Hawks have better C’s coming so he might still be a useful trade chip down the road. Who knows, Maybe he learns to put the puck in the net at some point. At least he’s finally improving.