Stars Lose To Jets

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DALLAS — With left winger Evander Kane beginning a two-game suspension, the Winnipeg Jets needed someone to step up. Left winger Adam Lowry did exactly that, scoring twice during a span of three unanswered second-period goals as the Jets pulled away from the Dallas Stars in a 5-2 win at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night.

“Good for him,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said of Lowry. “He’s had some great chances, had one the other night coming out of the corner and hasn’t gotten any breaks around the net.”

Lowry’s first goal, which snapped a 2-2 tie, was a soft one that went through the five hole of Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen. The tally at 7:22 of the middle period prompted Stars coach Lindy Ruff to pull Lehtonen.

Lowry’s second came 1:19 later when he beat Dallas backup netminder Jussi Rynnas with a backhand off a rebound.

“Yeah, it was always nice to get a couple, especially when you’re missing key guys like Evander (Kane),” Lowry said. “To contribute to the win was a pretty good feeling.”

Winnipeg right wingers Blake Wheeler and Michael Frolik each had a goal and

an assist. Jets center Mathieu Perreault added a goal, and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien had two assists.

Center Tyler Seguin and left winger Antoine Roussel scored for the Stars, who allowed five goals for the fifth time in their past six games.

“It started with our defense,” Ruff said. “I thought that’s the worst our defense has struggled as a group tonight. That affects scoring chances, our puck movement, our transition game.”

Jets backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson stopped 26 of 28 shots to earn his sixth win of the season.

“I think he’s been awesome so far,” Frolik said of Hutchinson. “He had some very big saves there. Yeah, very, very good game for him.”

The visitors struck first when Perrault scored a power-play goal 5:23 into the opening period. Perrault received the puck from center Bryan Little in the right circle and knocked the puck into an open net for his fourth of the season.

Dallas countered with a power-play goal from Seguin, his league-leading 22nd of the season at 9:09 of the first. Seguin one-timed a pass from center Jason Spezza into the top of the Winnipeg net from the left circle for the equalizer.

Winnipeg regained the lead later in the first when Wheeler beat Lehtonen far post with a snap shot from the right circle. Wheeler’s ninth and first in 11 games was set up by a pass from Jets left winger and captain Andrew Ladd.

Dallas tied it for a second time at 3:29 of the second when Roussel scored his sixth of the season as he was falling to the ice. Roussel’s goal, which came from the slot, capped a flurry of activity in front of the Stars net.

Once again, the Jets answered. Lowry scored his third of the season with a wrist shot from the left circle that deflected off Lehtonen’s stick before traveling between his pads.

Lowry then delivered a second goal of the game at 9:41 when he tapped in a rebound for his fourth of the season. Jets defenseman Adam Pardy took the initial shot from the left circle, an effort turned away by a Rynnas pad save. Lowry pounced on the rebound, quickly scoring off a backhand to give Winnipeg a 4-2 lead.

“I’m very happy for him,” Frolik said of Lowry. “He works hard. When you go to the net, good things happen.”

Hutchinson delivered a spectacular glove stop on Roussel at the far post at 15:36 of the second after Dallas had a two-on-one.

The Jets added a fifth late in the second when Frolik scored on a breakaway 40 seconds before the second intermission with Winnipeg shorthanded, the Jets’ fourth shorthanded goal of the season.

Rynnas stopped 13 shots in relief of Lehtonen, who made 14 saves.

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