Tag team #NHLJets coverage from @wiebesworld.bsky.social and I. On a much-needed Saturday night win over Washington: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews... On Connor’s speedy road back to the crease and the ensuing Hellebump: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

The HelleBump is real...and for the #NHLJets, it's spectacular. A dominant 5-1 victory over Washington tonight gets the club back to 15-15-1. Hellebuyck stops 20 of 21 in his return. Vilardi (x2), Iafallo, Barron and Stanley with the goals. Next: vs Ottawa on Monday

There goes the Connor Hellebuyck shutout. Jakob Chychrun scores near the end of the 5-on-3 power play and the #NHLJets lead is cut to 5-1 with 3:28 left in the 3rd.

That was a little too close for comfort, as Tom Wilson nearly wipes out Connor Hellebuyck after being hauled down by Luke Schenn. #NHLJets, up 5-0 with 4:30 left in the 3rd, now face a Washington 5-on-3 PP for 1:19 (or less)

Tic-Tac-Goal. Mark Scheifele to Kyle Connor to Gabe Vilardi and it's 5-0 #NHLJets.

These look a lot more like the #NHLJets of old -- rather than the old #NHLJets.

Logan Thompson with maybe his best save of the night, robbing Vlad Namestnikov after a nice feed from Cole Perfetti.

Who are these #NHLJets? Dominating performance through 40 minutes over one of the league's top teams. 4-0 lead. Shots are 23-12. Shot attempts 39-23. PP has a goal. PK is 3-for-3. High-dangers are 12-1 (!) Secondary scoring galore. The Hellebump?

4-0 #NHLJets. The Macarena Man, Gabe Vilardi, finishes off an incredible sequence where all 5 Winnipeg skaters quickly touched the puck on the power play.

That's a dangerous play by Nic Dowd, who gives Mark Scheifele a cross check that sends him feet-first into the boards. Logan Stanley comes over to have some words with the Washington forward, who is off to the penalty box.

Kyle Connor and then Adam Lowry with glorious chances on a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush. Like everything about the #NHLJets game so far tonight, the struggling PK looks so much better.

3-0 #NHLJets. Alex Iafallo, I believe. This new line of Barron-Lowry-Iafallo is cooking.

High-danger chances that period were 5-0 for the #NHLJets. And that includes the 4 minutes of power play time Washington had. Shots were 13-3, shot attempts 20-9. That was a smothering defensive period by Winnipeg, on top of a good offensive period.

Best period of the season for the #NHLJets? They outshoot the top team in the East, the Washington Capitals (who are on a 7-0-2 run) 13-3 -- despite taking the only 2 penalties of the period -- and get goals from Logan Stanley and Morgan Barron to grab a 2-0 lead. Impressive.

2-0 #NHLJets. Morgan Barron finishes off a lovely feed from Adam Lowry for his second goal in as many games, this one coming off the rush.

Logan Stanley opens the scoring. A beauty, too. 1-0 #NHLJets.

Connor Hellebuyck's first shot of the game is a harmless wrister from the point 7:12 into his return. His second shot is a bit tricker, an Alex Ovechkin one-timer he turns aside.

I'm seeing/receiving a lot of "They're rushing Hellebuyck back" comments. That's simply not happening. The player, his agent, trainer, doctors, etc, would ALL sign off on his return. Zero chance he/they risk further issues. #NHLJets have too much invested in their MVP. Olympics looming, too.

#NHLJets coach Scott Arniel on the Friday blockbuster that brought Quinn Hughes to the Central Division. “Not overly excited to see that. I was really hoping he’d get reunited with his brothers.”

#NHLJets HC Scott Arniel wouldn't disclose his starting goaltender for tonight. We'll have to wait until warmup at 5:30 pm to see if Connor Hellebuyck makes his return.

Maybe Connor Hellebuyck’s equipment company could send him a cape? On the return of the #NHLJets resident superhero and how he’s going to need a helping hand if the season is to be saved. My story: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

The tough part of today’s blockbuster trade for the #NHLJets is both Minnesota and Vancouver became harder to catch — depending on which race you might be focused on.

It’s plausible — perhaps even probable — that the 3 best teams in the NHL now reside in the Central Division. Colorado. Dallas. Minnesota. What a gauntlet. Meanwhile, last year’s top regular season team, the #NHLJets, are T-28th in the standings. Life moves fast.

The Central Division now features Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes and Josh Morrissey, who finished 1-3-4 last year in Norris Trophy voting. Plus the likes of Roman Josi, Miro Heiskanen, Colton Parayko, Thomas Harley, Mikhail Sergachev. Best “D” division in the NHL?

Maybe Connor Hellebuyck’s equipment company could send him a cape? On the return of the #NHLJets resident superhero and how he’s going to need a helping hand if the season is to be saved. My story: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

A couple things: No clue what the 2nd, 3rd ad 4th lines would be here. Pay no attention to how I ordered them. Also, Scott Arniel told me Haydn Fleury is fully cleared to play. And that they may look to use him on the right side. A Stanley-Fleury 3rd pair at some point soon is likely, I believe.

I asked #NHLJets coach Scott Arniel if team is considering #MBMoose callups, even if it means putting players on waivers. "It's extremely tough now that we're healthy. We certainly talk about it, and we're having more conversations. For me, I gotta coach what's here and what's in front of me."

#NHLJets coach Scott Arniel did not rule out Connor Hellebuyck potentially starting Saturday night against Washington.

Everybody present and accounted for at today’s #NHLJets practice. Of note: Connor Hellebuyck has one net to himself, while Eric Comrie and Dom DiVincentiis split the other one.

Is this all the players have to give? Has the coaching staff run out of answers? What is management going to do to fix this mess? Has fan apathy set in? Is this rock bottom? Thursday’s ugly #NHLJets loss left me with 5 burning questions: My column: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

Is this all the players have to give? Has the coaching staff run out of answers? What is management going to do to fix this mess? Has fan apathy set in? Is this rock bottom? Thursday’s ugly #NHLJets loss left me with 5 burning questions: My column: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

The #NHLJets are in a full-blown freefall. A 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins -- in front of a season-low crowd of just 13,158 -- leaves them with just 5 wins in the last 18 games. Now 14-15-1 overall and among the worst teams in the NHL. Next: vs Washington on Saturday

6-3 Boston. David Pastrnak into an empty net. What a game he's had.

Assuming Connor Hellebuyck isn't ready by Saturday, I don't see how you don't give Dom DiVincentiis his first NHL start against Washington. At this point, what do you have to lose?

And that should probably do it. David Pastrnak with a wicked feed to Elias Lindholm, who rips it by Eric Comrie. #NHLJets well on their way to a 13th loss in the last 18 games. 5:17 left in the 3rd period.

I believe this is the smallest #NHLJets crowd of the season here at Canada Life Centre: 13,158. That's especially surprising since Boston always has drawn well, and there are a ton of Bruins fans here.

The #NHLJets now have 90 goals this season. Mark Scheifele (16), Kyle Connor (15) and Gabe Vilardi (14) have exactly 50 per cent of them.

#NHLJets will go to the power play for a 4th time tonight, and this one feels like a must-score if they are to have any chance of coming back. Down 4-2, 2:24 left in the 2nd

4-2 Boston. That all starts because Eric Comrie gives up a rebound on a puck he should have been able to corral, and the Bruins end up making the #NHLJets pay.

Some message-sending by #NHLJets coach Scott Arniel, who has the 2nd PP unit to start the 2nd period, with 43 seconds to work with. That's quite an indictment of the work of PP1 lately.

#NHLJets had a 3-2 power play advantage in the 1st period, but are losing 2-0 in the special teams battle. Really, really tough to win when that's the case.

Quite the penalty filled affair here. #NHLJets going to the PP for a third time in this opening period, and they've already given up a pair of PP goals to Boston. Whistles getting a workout

It's been wild, but not 43-2 wild. Whoops.

So it's going to be one of those games, eh? Alex Iafallo with a wicked move goes bar-down and the #NHLJets are back within a goal, down 43-2. There's still 6:23 left in a wild first period.

3-1 Boston. Wow.

The #NHLJets penalty kill is a disaster. Boston converts again on the power play, and now have a 2-1 lead. Winnipeg just wrecked its early momentum with two penalties.

And now Morgan Barron takes an offensive zone holding penalty, which could have been called tackling. #NHLJets leaky penalty kill goes right back to work

Gustav Nyquist, making his return to the lineup after four games as a healthy scratch, takes the kind of silly penalty a guy in his position just can't take. Boston to the power play.

1-0 #NHLJets. Morgan Barron on the rebound.

Eric Comrie with a huge save off David Pastrnak on a 2-on-1 rush. Put a gold star beside that one.