Rookie Michael Hutchinson will make a third straight start tonight when his Winnipeg Jets host the Minnesota Wild in an important Central Division match-up.
Hutchinson has won his last three starts, allowing just five goals on 95 shots combined. On the season, the 24-year-old is 9-2-2 with a .939 save percentage. His play has been a big reason the Jets are on pace to make the playoffs for the first time since the franchise moved to Winnipeg.
We wondered in July, after Hutchinson had re-signed with the Jets, if there was a chance he could supplant much-maligned Ondrej Pavelec as the starter. For now, it appears he’s done just that.
If the Jets can beat Minnesota in regulation, they’ll open an 11-point lead on the Wild, with Minnesota holding three games in hand.