Stars Fall To Jets
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DALLAS — Winnipeg Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec said he needed a great performance to help bolster his confidence. Well, Pavelec shouldn’t be short on confidence going forward after stopping 46 shots for the Jets in a 2-1 win against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Thursday night.
“Ondrej Pavelec had an incredible night, is the reason that we got two points, is the reason that we didn’t get embarrassed,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “That was clearly just a special effort by a gifted man.”
Right winger Michael Frolik scored early in the opening period and left winger Evander Kane added a short-handed goal, the eventual game-winner, halfway through the third period for Winnipeg (23-14-8), who was outshot 47-22.
Dallas (19-17-7) was held to just one goal, breaking the shutout with 1:16 remaining when defenseman Trevor Daley beat Pavelec with a slap shot from the right circle to make it 2-1 with the goalie pulled.
However, the Stars were unable to find an equalizer.
“Utter domination, but (we) didn’t finish great opportunities,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “I don’t think you can play any better and miss that many opportunities and not win the hockey game. You’ve got to give Pavelec a lot of credit, but at the same time, the near-misses should be in the back of the net.”
One big reason why the Stars lost was their power play finished the night 0-for-7.
“It’s frustrating because we had some good looks, but unfortunately the
power play we put out there that would have been the difference tonight, we got scored on,” Daley said. “You can’t let that happen either. The power play wasn’t good enough.”
Winnipeg struck first when Frolik scored his ninth goal of the season with a quick wrist shot from the low slot 3:53 into the game. Frolik tapped in a pass from center Mathieu Perreault which came to the right of the Dallas goal.
Frolik got his shot off even with Stars rookie defenseman John Klingberg in close proximity, maneuvering his stick around Klingberg’s right skate enough to send a wrist shot into the left side of the Stars net.
“Yeah, it was just a good forecheck he (Frolik) started up,” Perreault said. “The puck came to me. I put it back to him and he put it in. It was a nice goal but it’s pretty much all we had all night. We couldn’t generate much, but we found a way to win.”
The Jets outshot the Stars 11-9 in the first period and led 1-0 after 20 minutes.
After a scoreless second period, the Stars got a four-minute power play 5:24 into the third when Jets right winger Blake Wheeler earned a double-minor for a high stick to the face of Dallas left winger Erik Cole, an infraction which drew blood.
But instead of Dallas capitalizing, it was Winnipeg that took full advantage as Kane scored a short-handed goal at 7:34. Kane’s ninth goal of the season came as his rather cavalier flick from the slot deflected in off the left skate of Daley.
“I was just trying to make sure I was on the breakaway and then it (the puck) kind of hopped on me,” Kane said. “Guy tried to kill me coming across the middle there. I just got a bit of a touch on it and ricocheted off a skate and went in, so nice to get a bounce.”
It was the seventh short-handed goal by Winnipeg and the fifth allowed by Dallas this season, four of which have come at home.
“I’ll take the win,” Pavelec said. “Of course, it would be nice (to get the shutout). I wouldn’t lie but hockey’s 60 minutes, so it doesn’t matter when they score. A huge goal on the penalty kill that helped us a lot.”
Dallas goaltender Anders Lindback stopped 20 of 22 shots before leaving the ice with 2:34 remaining.
