Stars Lose To Jets
DALLAS — Right before their game with the Dallas Stars, the Winnipeg Jets learned their captain, Andrew Ladd, was traded to Chicago.
The Jets wanted to honor Ladd with a win, and thanks to center Mark Scheifele’s goal and three assists, right winger Joel Armia’s two goals and an assist, and goaltender Michael Hutchinson stopping 27 of 30 shots, the Jets prevailed 6-3 at American Airlines Center on Thursday.
“We pushed through,” Scheifele said. “We got through it. We knew we had a big game at hand and came through with a win that’s huge.”
Left winger Nikolaj Ehlers had two assists for the Jets, who snapped a four-game losing streak (0-3-1).
Right winger Blake Wheeler and defensemen Toby Enstrom and Jacob Trouba also scored for the Jets (26-30-4).
Center Jason Spezza had two goals and right winger Patrick Sharp recorded three assists for Dallas (38-18-6). The Stars also got a goal from center Tyler Seguin.
“We had a tough night in a couple of areas. I thought our defense had a
tough night with some breakdowns,” Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. “I thought our goaltending had a tough night.”
Dallas trailed 3-2 after two periods, but Spezza tied it with his second goal of the game 2:23 into the third. Spezza’s wrist shot from near the red line traveled in through Hutchinson’s five hole.
However, the Jets stormed back with two goals in 40 seconds to take a 5-3 lead. Scheifele scored his second of the game on an easy tap-in at the far post at 6:58 of the third.
Armia then delivered a highlight-reel goal, his second of the game, at 7:38. Armia skated between Stars defenseman Johnny Oduya and Seguin, then displayed some extraordinary stick work in front of the Dallas goal before finishing with a wrist shot inside the near post.
Trouba added an insurance tally with 4:05 remaining.
Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen stopped 17 of 20 shots in relief of Antti Niemi.
Winnipeg took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission.
Wheeler scored his 17th goal of the season 4:57 into the game when he beat Niemi with a wrist shot to his short side. Wheeler’s shot sailed in just over Niemi’s glove to put the visitors up 1-0.
“I think that it was a good effort for us,” Wheeler said. “I think we were dedicated to doing a lot of the right things. We finally had some opportunity that we cashed in on. I think that was a good step for us.”
Enstrom made it 2-0 with his second goal of the season 59 seconds later. Enstrom beat Niemi far post with a wrist shot from the left circle.
Three seconds before the first intermission, Armia made it 3-0 by beating Niemi through his legs with a wrist shot from the left circle. Initially, there was some doubt as to whether Armia scored before time ran out, and the horn sounded to end the period.
However, after a review, a goal was allowed and 2.8 seconds were put back on the clock.
Dallas stormed back in the second and trailed by just a goal at 3-2 after 40 minutes of play.
Ruff made a change in goal to start the second period, replacing Niemi, who stopped just five of eight shots in the opening 20 minutes, with Lehtonen.
Spezza made it 3-1 with his 20th of the season 1:59 into the second. After Hutchinson denied the initial shot by Sharp, Spezza scored with a backhand to put Dallas on the board.
“We just gave them too many quality scoring chances,” Spezza said. “We’ve been doing a little too much of that lately.”
Seguin then scored his 32nd of the season off a deflection at 3:51 with Dallas on the power play. Sharp’s slap shot from the left circle struck the hand of right winger Valeri Nichushkin, and the puck landed at Seguin’s skates. Seguin knocked it in to make it 2-1.
