Stellar December earns Jets' Connor Hellebuyck NHL monthly award

Connor Hellebuyck's stinginess through the month of December would have made the Grinch green with envy.

The Winnipeg Jets' goalie has been named theNHL's third star of the month for December after posting a 7-0-2 record witha .934 save percentage and a 1.88 goals-against average.

In that time, he has allowedmore than two goals in a game just once.

His stellar play between the pipes helped lead theJets to an NHL-best 10-1-2 record in December, while hisseven wins was tied for the most by a goalie in the month.

Hellebuyck, 30, alsoranks in the top-10 in save percentage(.919) and goals-against average (2.34) among all NHL netmindersthat have started more than three games this season.

Two of his most notable performances in December were a pair of 34-save wins over Colorado on Dec. 7 and Los Angeles on Dec. 13.

The 2020 Vezina Trophy winner and a three-time finalist for the awardis now tied for second in the NHL with 17 wins this season.

Thanks to the play of Hellebuyck and backup goalie Laurent Brossoit, the Jets have not allowed more than three goals in a game since Nov. 2.

Over that span, Hellebuyck is 13- 6-2 with a shutout, a 2.00 GAA, and .931 save percentage.

This is the first time in his career that he has been selected as one ofthe NHL'sthree stars of the month.

He is also the first Jets player selected for the honour since 2018-19 and just the second Winnipeg player selected since the franchise relocated to Manitoba.

Winnipeg sits second in the Central Division standings entering the new year, and its 22-9-4 record is good for 48 points one point behind the division-leading Colorado Avalanche.

Hellebuyck and the Jets return to action Tuesday when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Canada Life Centre at 7 p.m.