Hellebuyck makes 22 saves, Jets shut out Canucks

VANCOUVER --Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves to help the Winnipeg Jets defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 at Rogers Arena on Monday.

It was the first shutout this season for Hellebuyck, who had allowed at least three goals in his previous eight starts.
"It means you've finally perfected a game," Hellebuyck said. "I'm never going to say my game is perfect, but for one game, with the guys in front of me, we played a perfect game. Granted, there's some luck in there and maybe you can find some mistakes, but at the end of the day we're looking back at this like we played our A-plus game, and this is what we want to try and continue moving forward with."
Adam Lowry scored twice for the Jets (19-11-2), who bounced back after losing consecutive games in regulation for the first time this season.
"It was a pretty complete, pretty solid effort," Lowry said. "Throughout the game, we didn't give them a whole lot. A couple of posts, a couple of chances, but [Hellebuyck] was rock-solid."

Thatcher Demko made 25 saves for the Canucks (16-17-3), who lost in regulation for the first time in six games (4-1-1).
"I'm not sitting here saying we outplayed the other team and deserved better fate, but I am saying that it didn't feel like a 4-0 game and I liked a lot of things in our game," Vancouver coach Travis Green said.
The teams will play again here Wednesday.
Blake Wheeler put Winnipeg ahead 1-0 at 9:41 of the first period, shooting five-hole on Demko from the right face-off circle on a 2-on-1.
"That first goal lets us take a deep breath, and we kind of just built from there," Lowry said.
The Jets outshot the Canucks 11-6 in the second period, but Demko kept it a one-goal game.
"I thought it was tight-checking game," Demko said. "Going into the third down one, I felt we we're in a pretty good spot to make a push and tie it up."
Lowry made it 2-0 at 2:07 of the third on another 2-on-1 when his pass attempt deflected off defenseman Travis Hamonic's stick and fluttered over Demko.
"They got the bounces," said Vancouver defenseman Jordie Benn, who hit the crossbar at 5:29. "We hit three posts in the third. It could have been a different game if those go in."
Lowry extended the lead to 3-0 at 8:42 with a backhand at the right post after receiving a one-touch pass across the crease by Andrew Copp.
Paul Stastny then made it 4-0 at 17:00 from alone in the slot following a turnover as Demko tried to scramble back into his crease after initially heading to the bench for an extra skater.

Mark Scheifele had the assist on the play after he was held without a point and was minus-6 in his previous three games.
"It was a good bounce-back game for us as a veteran line," Wheeler said.
Canucks center Bo Horvat left early in the third period after he was hit by a slap shot on his left skate. Green did not have an update on his injury, which left Vancouver without any of its usual centers because Brandon Sutter (undisclosed) was a late scratch, Elias Pettersson (upper body) missed his 10th straight game, and Jay Beagle (undisclosed) missed his sixth straight game.
"We need guys to step up to the plate," Canucks forward J.T. Miller said. "This is an opportunity. As much as it stinks] to lose pretty much all of our centers at this point, this stuff happens. Guys are going to get an opportunity and we need guys to step up. This is the hard part of the season. We just need to literally challenge ourselves to be need to be the best version of ourselves right now."
**NOTES:** Stastny played in his 977th NHL game, which tied his father, Hockey Hall of Fame forward Peter Stastny. … Winnipeg has won seven straight in Vancouver. … Canucks center
[Tyler Graovac
played 9:31 in his season debut after being called up from the taxi squad in the afternoon to replace Sutter. … Demko has started nine of the past 10 games for the Canucks.