Nov. 5, 2011
HELLEBUYCK SHINES AS JACKS FALL 1-0
Odessa goaltender stops NAHL season-high 61 shots in loss.
AMARILLO, TX– In the second leg of a two-game road series, the Odessa Jackalopes dropped their fifth consecutive game on Saturday night, a tight, 1-0 loss to the Amarillo Bulls at the Amarillo Civic Center. With the loss, the Jacks fell to 5-10-2 on the season, winless in three games against the league-best Bulls and remain alone in fifth place in the NAHL’s South Division standings with 12 points. Despite the loss, Odessa netminder Connor Hellebuyck turned in a memorable performance, stopping 61 of the 62 shots he faced to set a 2011-12 NAHL single-game goaltending record for saves.
Hellebuyck’s spectacular performance bumped his season save percentage to .942, the fourth-best total so far this year in the NAHL. The only goal of the game was scored at 5:36 of the second period when Amarillo’s Greg Gibson sent a pass across the Odessa zone for a one-time slap shot goal for Bulls forward Brooks Behling, his tenth of the season.
Following a night in which the Jacks and Bulls combined for 91 penalty minutes, the Odessa penalty-kill was in top form again, killing off eight minor penalties and holding the Amarillo power-play, the second best man-advantage unit in the league, off the board. The Jackalopes were also held scoreless on the power-play in four chances.
Next up for the Jacks, it’s a three-game homestand that begins November 11, when the Jackalopes play host to the New Mexico Mustangs at 7:05 pm at Ector County Coliseum.
The Odessa Jackalopes celebrate their 15th Anniversary in 2011-12 and drop the puck on their inaugural campaign as a member of the North American Hockey League. Season tickets, mini-plans, and single game tickets are available by calling (432) 552-7825 or by visiting the Jacks online at www.jackalopes.org.
Be sure to follow the Jackalopes on Twitter @LetsGoJacks all season long and don’t forget to ‘Like’ the official “Odessa Jackalopes” fan page on Facebook.
— ODESSA JACKALOPES —
