WINNIPEG – After a three-game road swing the Jets were back on home ice for a quick home game before heading out on the road for two games this week. The Dallas Stars were in town Tuesday night and they were on a three-game losing skid.
The Stars used a strong third period where they scored three goals to hand the Jets a 5-3 loss.
Jamie Benn scored twice in third period to lead Stars past Jets – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
These two teams will meet again on Thursday night in Dallas in the back half of a long home-and-home series. The Stars have the Jets number this season as they are 3-0-0 and will look for the season sweep on Thursday night.
There was a buzz in the air as Jets captain Andrew Ladd who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season could have been playing his last home game as Jets captain . As the Feb.29 trade deadline approaches it appears he will be dealt as the two parties haven’t spoken in a while and the writing seems to be on the wall.
Ondrej Pavelec got the start in net for Winnipeg and he stopped 22 of 26 shots the Stars fired at him to take the loss.
“As a team, our confidence is low right now,” Pavelec said. “It’s about winning and losing.”
The Jets got goals from Alex Burmistrov his sixth, Ladd notched his 17th a shorthanded marker, Mark Scheifele got his 14th.
Special teams played a key role in this game as the Jets went 0-for-4 on the power play including a 45 second two man advantage where they were not able to gain control in the Dallas zone.
“We turned some pucks over in the offensive zone that we didn’t need to, and we were digging them out of our net,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said.
The Stars scored two power play markers on five attempts which proved to be the difference.
Dallas was lead by their captain Jamie Benn who scored a pair of goals his 31st and 32nd of the season. Other scorers for the Stars were Jason Spezza who got his 19th, Valeri Nichushkin scored his seventh and Colton Sceviour his sixth.
“I think as a group we did a good job sticking to the game plan,” Benn said. “We found a way to get a win. We’re ready to get home and face these guys again.”
The war room in Toronto had the play stopped during the game as they saw on the office replay that Sceviour`s shot that hit the bar actually went in and the game was stopped during play and the goal was counted.
“I had no idea,” Sceviour said of the play. “I don’t even know what it hit. Fortunately, it was in.”
The Jets were not only stymied by Dallas goalie Antti Niemi who made 22 saves, they were stopped by the post and cross bar on four occasions as Blake Wheeler , Dustin Byfuglien twice and Ladd in the final minute before the empty net goal by Dallas.
As they say it was a game of inches Tuesday as the Jets had no luck around the goal.
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