The Winnipeg Jets have shown that even without all-star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, they can still hang with some of the very best.
Ultimately losing 4-3 to the visiting Dallas Stars on Tuesday, the Jets twice battled back from multi-goal deficits, thanks to goals from Mark Scheifele and Logan Stanley.
Photo by Scott Stroh
With NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in attendance from Canada Life Centre, the Jets fell behind 3-0, clawed back in the second period, gave up another in the third, but never stopped fighting in a test against one of the league’s very best clubs.
Advertisement
The loss moves Winnipeg to an even 14-14-1 on the season and 2-7-1 in its last 10 games.
“Yeah, I thought we played great,” Scheifele reflected post-game.
“It was nice to get two days of rest before this one, so, you can look at that one and look what worked, and keep doing that.”
It took all of 44 seconds for the league’s second-place team to fire the puck past goaltender Eric Comrie. Esa Lindell put it into the back of the net off a setup play from Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston, drawing an early groan from the 13,675 gathered downtown on a blustery night.
Other than that first minute of action, Winnipeg actually played a half decent opening frame. Dallas led 1-0 after 20 minutes but trailed heavily on the shot chart (11-6 Winnipeg).
Advertisement
The second period began much like that of the first.
But this time it took 1:16 for the visitors to strike. Roope Hintz was the last Star to touch the puck on a nifty passing play between he, Rantanen and Johnston, who each picked up their second helpers of the night.
Dallas was not done there.
Then, just 1:15 later, Alex Petrovic got his second of the season, as the Stars beat Comrie for the third time, and twice before three minutes had even ticked off the clock in the middle stanza.
But it was all Jets after that, or, more accurately, it was all the Jets’ top line there onward.
First, on a brutal Stars turnover, Scheifele got the puck to Kyle Connor, who dished it right back to him, for a perfect one-timer from the left circle that beat Casey DeSmith cleanly.
Advertisement
Then, just moments after a Stars penalty expired, Scheifele hammered his second of the game and 16th of the season past DeSmith from nearly the exact same spot, bringing Winnipeg to within one.
The Jets entered the third period down a goal, but facing a difficult statistic, to which they have won just one of 10 games so far this season when trailing after 40 minutes.
“I think we liked a lot of our game tonight,” Stanley said. “I thought that we were the better team, and maybe deserved a little better, but that’s kind of the funk we’re in right now. We keep battling through it, and, you know, that’s a good start and a good kind of game plan for us going forward, we want to play like that. I thought we did a lot of good things.”
With Dylan DeMelo in the box for high-sticking Matt Duchene, Dallas struck. This time it was Jason Robertson’s 19th of the year on a perfect one-timer.
Advertisement
Trailing 4-2, Stanley stepped up and potted his fourth of the season with 16 minutes left to play in the period, bringing the Jets to within just one goal for the second time. He collected the rebound on his own shot and put it into the empty net, bringing local fans back up onto their feet once again.
With 2:30 left to play in the game, Rantanen was sent to the box for tripping, giving the Jets’ top unit one more chance at a game-tying play.
But it was all for naught, as the power play went unsuccessful, even with an additional six-on-four advantage.
“We got pucks deep, we had a good forecheck,” Scheifele added. “We didn’t give them a lot of time and space. Our D were gapping up really well which made it tough for them to make any plays, so, a lot of guys played really good.”
Advertisement
Comrie turned aside 15 of the 19 pucks sent his way, while DeSmith made 30 stops on 33 Jets shots.
Next up for Winnipeg on its four-game homestand is a Thursday night affair with the Boston Bruins, before the Washington Capitals roll into town on Saturday. Thursday’s game can be viewed live on TSN at 7:00 PM central.
