Whew—talk about a tale of two teams in the NHL, huh? While some squads are cruising through the postseason like its smooth jazz, others are just trying not to trip over their own skates. And things got extra spicy in St. Louis. The Blues exploded with four goals in just over five minutes of the second period, sending poor Connor Hellebuyck packing for the third time this series. Yep, the guy who’s supposed to be in the Vezina convo? He got yanked again after giving up five goals on 23 shots. And while Hellebuyck was heading to the bench, the Blues were throwing a party; Broberg, Schenn, Toropchenko, and even Walker got in on the action. Binnington? Stone cold in the net.

Meanwhile, the Jets; regular season champs with that shiny Presidents’ Trophy just couldn’t catch a break. Self-inflicted wounds, offsides drama, screens galore, and a defense that left Hellebuyck hanging like a bad date. Perfetti and Niederreiter managed to light the lamp, but it was too little, way too late. Now the series is going to Game 7 in Winnipeg, and let’s just say… NHL fans are less than thrilled. The pressure’s cooking, the spotlight’s roasting, and let’s be real, Hellebuyck might be feeling the heat harder than a goalie in a shootout.

Greg Wyshynski wasn’t holding back when he hopped on X and dropped the most hilariously spicy fan bait of the week: “Is Milan, Italy technically a road game for Connor Hellebuyck? Asking for America.” Yep—he went there. With the IIHF World Championship just around the corner and Team USA gearing up for that Milan showdown, the vibes around Hellebuyck joining the squad are… well, shaky at best. It’s like fans are gripping the edge of their couches, hoping he doesn’t carry that playoff baggage across the Atlantic.

One fan straight-up chimed in with, “No way in hell is Sullivan going to start him. It’s Jake Oettinger’s job to lose.” Ouch. That one had some serious extra sauce on it. But here’s the twist—Hellebuyck’s resume this season is anything but dusty. The dude just grabbed the Vezina Trophy for 2023–24 after dropping a monster stat line: 47 wins, only 12 losses, a sleek 2.00 GAA, and a .925 SV%. That’s straight fire. Add that to his Presidents’ Trophy glow-up with the Jets and yeah, on paper, he’s the guy. NHL GMs clearly love what they see, voting him top of the goaltending game not once, but twice back-to-back.

If the Vezina was a mixtape, Hellebuyck just went platinum two seasons in a row. Still… fans are clutchin’ receipts. They can’t forget that rough ride in the playoffs—dude’s now the third goalie in Stanley Cup history to let in 4+ goals in seven straight road games. It’s like his postseason persona turns into a ghost of puck-leaking past. So yeah, while he may look like Team USA’s armored knight stat-wise, a bunch of fans would rather see Oettinger take the reins. And guess what? This was just the tip of the iceberg!

NHL fans make their feelings known for Hellebuyck!

Another NHL fan jumped into the convo with zero hesitation and dropped the mic: “Oettinger is the only answer.” And a big chunk of the hockey world is feeling the same vibes. Jakob Oettinger, or should we say, Otter… or better yet, the absolute legend Phenomenotter, isn’t just some random goalie with a cool nickname. Nah, this dude’s got a whole stacked-up journey. From tearing it up at Boston University to being a shining star with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, Otter’s been that guy since day one.

He had “first-round pick” energy way before draft night even showed up, and sure enough, the Dallas Stars snatched him up 26th overall in 2017 like they already saw the magic coming. And now? Fans aren’t just hyped—they’re placing bets on him to start for Team USA like it’s already locked in stone. One fan didn’t even blink when they said it straight: “Oettinger just earned that start.” You can feel the confidence in that one.

Another fan didn’t hold back at all and dropped this scorcher online: “Swayman, Oettinger or Wolf for Milan… if we bring Hellebuyck we’re going to be even more embarrassing to the rest of the world.” Even with that shiny Vezina frontrunner glow, the playoff stumbles have fans feeling… extra twitchy. But before folks get too cozy penciling in Swayman as the savior in Milan, the numbers behind the scenes are tossing some serious shade on that idea. According to The New York Times, Swayman may sit with the big boys on paycheck land; just behind Bobrovsky, Vasilevskiy, and Hellebuyck—but when it came to actual performance, the drop-off was hard to miss.

We’re talking about a minus-18.26 goals saved above expected, which only Alexander Georgiev managed to beat, in the wrong direction. And while sure, Swayman was kinda dealing a busted hand with injuries and a shaky D-line (shoutout to McAvoy and Lindholm’s absences), the end result was still a save percentage of .880. That’s not even close to clutch. Ullmark, who dealt with his own mess over in Ottawa, still found a way to beat that number. So yeah, when fans are saying “Hellebuyck in the prelims, Oettinger in the medal rounds,” maybe it’s time they pause, sip some electrolytes, and take a long look at everyone’s NHL receipts. Cuz this goalie convo? It’s messier than a broken stick in double OT.