WINNIPEG – For the second straight home game some Jets’ fans went home without their hat.
Mark Scheifele recorded the Jets’ second hat trick in as many home games and they secured their third straight victory by defeating the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Thursday at Bell MTS Place. Blake Wheeler scored three goals in their last home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday and the Jets captain finished with three assists against the Stars for seven points in the last three games.
It was a fast start for the Jets who scored three goals in the span of less than five minutes in the first period.
“We’ve been coming out ready to go.” Wheeler said. “I think we have zeroed in on a few things that have given us some success and we’re doing them right now. So everyone is doing their job. It makes the game a lot easier.”
The Jets now have at least a point in six consecutive games. Patrik Laine and Tyler Myers had the other markers for the Jets. For Scheifele it was his second career hat trick.
“We played a solid game.” Scheifele said. “No matter the adversity, no matter what happened we kept on playing our game.”
The Jets’ powerplay continues to dazzle as they scored twice on the man advantage in just three opportunities against Dallas.
“I liked our game start to finish.” head coach Paul Maurice said. “I thought that we skated really well in the third period, really good gap control and kind of made improvements on the play after the 2-1 (3-1) goal.”
Making his third consecutive start in the Jets’ net, Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 21 of the 23 shots he faced. Hellebuyck has yet to lose in regulation this season as his record improved to 7-0-1 in eight starts this season.
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Alexander Radulov and Mattias Janmark scored goals in the loss for the Stars. Ben Bishop made 22 stops.
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The Jets opened the scoring on the powerplay near the 11 minute mark of the first frame. Wheeler made the cross ice pass on the tape of Scheifele at the faceoff dot and he fired the one-timer past Bishop. Dustin Byfuglien also had an assist on Scheifele’s fifth goal of the season.
Winnipeg added another goal just a few short minutes later. Esa Lindell fanned on the clearing attempt and the puck went right to Dmitry Kulikov and he set up Laine who ripped it top shelf on Bishop. Laine’s fifth goal of the campaign ended a four game goal scoring drought and the Jets took a two goal lead.
With 4:44 remaining in the first the Jets tacked on another powerplay goal. Myers blasted in a slap shot from the blueline for his second goal of the year. Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers had the assists and the Jets took a three goal advantage.
But the Stars found the back of the net before the end of the period. Radulov lifted in the backhand past a sprawled out Hellebuyck. The goal was unasssisted and it was 3-1 after 20 minutes of play in a period in which the Jets outshot Dallas 12-9.
The Jets thought they had restored the three goal edge in the final five minutes of the second stanza. Shawn Matthias spotted Brandon Tanev in the slot and he beat Bishop. The Stars used a coaches challenge on the tally for goalie interference and the goal was eventually overturned on video review so the score remained 3-1 in favour of Winnipeg.
With just over a minute left in the second the Stars made it a one goal game. Janmark’s shot eluded Hellebuyck upstairs for his third goal. The marker was unassisted and it was 3-2 through two periods.
But just 1:47 into the final frame the Jets restored their two goal cushion. Josh Morrissey’s point shot was deflected by Scheifele up and over Bishop as the puck dropped into the goal. Scheifele’s second of the goal of the game was assisted by Morrissey and Wheeler and it was 4-2 Winnipeg.
Kyle Connor was awarded a penalty shot after being hauled down on a breakaway with under five minutes left in regulation. Connor skated in ever so slow on the penalty shot but he lost control of the puck and didn’t even get a shot off.
Scheifele sealed the deal with the empty net tally for his third goal of the game to close out the scoring.
Byfuglien had his first scrap of the season tangling with Jamie Benn in the second period. Brendan Lemieux got into his first career NHL fight as he duked it out with Stars centre Gemel Smith.
Mathieu Perreault, Adam Lowry, Marko Dano, and Ben Chiarot all sat out. Defenceman Tucker Poolman was re-assigned to the Manitoba Moose earlier on Thursday.
The Jets wrap up the brief two game homestand on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell MTS Place.
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