Stars 4, Jets 3: Slow Start Cost Winnipeg
The Winnipeg Jets dropped a 4–3 decision to the Dallas Stars, and the first thing that stood out was how early this one got away. Before fans had settled into their seats, the Jets were down 1–0, and by the time the second period hit the two-minute mark, Dallas had stretched it to 3–0. For a team trying to claw out of a tough stretch, spotting one of the league’s hottest teams a three-goal cushion is asking for trouble. Still, the Jets pushed back, tightened their game at five-on-five, and turned this into a real contest — just not one they could finish.
The Stars, riding an 11-game point streak, leveraged Mikko Rantanen’s playmaking and Casey DeSmith’s timely saves. Even so, the Jets generated plenty of pressure, especially once Mark Scheifele got rolling. His first goal came off a terrific read and set-up from Kyle Connor, and suddenly the building woke up. When Scheifele struck again later in the period, you could feel the game tilting. Winnipeg’s forecheck sharpened, exits cleaned up, and the Jets were winning more puck races. But as has been the pattern lately, one mistake or one special-teams moment swung the night back against them.
Winnipeg played well enough to win. That said, against a Dallas team that scores on the power play, kills everything, and doesn’t give up many free chances, “well enough” isn’t enough. That will be the Jets’ frustration coming out of this one — they did most things right after the slow start, but they still left without any points.
Key Point One: Mark Scheifele Drags the Jets Back In.
Mark Scheifele looked every bit the Jets’ offensive driver, scoring twice and pushing the pace at even strength. His reads were sharp, his puck touches were confident, and he gave the team a real chance to climb out of that early hole. His eight-game point streak shows how vital he’s been during a difficult segment of the schedule.
Key Point Two: The Slow Start Was the Difference.
Being down 3–0 before the game found its rhythm cost Winnipeg. The Jets controlled large portions of the five-on-five play, but early coverage mistakes and a rough start in net forced them to chase for the rest of the night. Against a team as structured as Dallas, that’s a recipe for frustration.
Key Point Three: Five-on-Five Play Was Strong.
Scott Arniel wasn’t wrong: the Jets defended well when they didn’t have the puck and pressured the Stars into mistakes. Winnipeg’s forecheck was heavy, their gaps were tight, and they didn’t spend much time stuck in their own end. That’s the version of the Jets that can climb out of this slump — provided they clean up the execution at key moments.
Final Thoughts from the Jets’ Perspective.
Considering the opponent, this was one of Winnipeg’s better games in the last couple of weeks. The Jets skated, competed, and generated enough to earn at least a point. Logan Stanley’s goal early in the third showed the bench still had life, and the team pushed hard with the goalie pulled. But special teams sank them: no power-play goals for, two power-play goals against, and all the momentum went the wrong way.
There were bright spots — Scheifele’s continued point streak, Kyle Connor’s steady production, and improved five-on-five play. But the Jets need results, not silver linings. They’ve lost four of five, and the margin for error in this division is thin.
If they bottle the middle 40 minutes of this game, they’ll start winning again. The question is whether they can stop spotting other teams’ early leads long enough for their strengths to take over.