The Winnipeg Jets returned to NHL playoff action this afternoon on Mother’s Day. After a decisive 4-0 win at Canada Life Centre on Friday, the 1-1 series shifted to Dallas for games 3 and 4. Both teams kept the same lineups that they used in game 3, as the Jets remained a fully healthy squad. Miro Heiskanen continues to progress closer to his return for the Stars, and the team insists that he will be ready to play later in this series. A big question going into this game was how Connor Hellebuyck would do on the road, after he was pulled in St. Louis in round 1 multiple times against the Blues. Tonight’s game started with the Stars taking a 2-1 lead in the 1st, and this game ended with the Stars holding on to a 5-2 lead and taking a 2-1 series lead.

Just like last game, a penalty was called in the first 30 seconds, but this time it was the Stars that would get the early powerplay. Nino Niederreiter was called for high-sticking on Thomas Harley. The Jets penalty kill looked good to start this game, but 5 seconds before this penalty expired Josh Morrissey tripped Mikko Rantanen. The Stars got a very short 5 on 3 before going back to 5 on 4, and just 10 seconds into their 2nd powerplay they made it 1-0. Thomas Harley found Mikko Rantanen near the faceoff dot, and he passed the puck in the slot to Roope Hintz who deflected the puck off a Jets defender and past Connor Hellebuyck.

The Stars had an early 1-0 lead on their first shot of the game, as Connor Hellebuyck let in a goal on the 1st shot he’s faced for the 4th time in these playoffs. Still without a shot on goal, the Jets got their first powerplay of the afternoon around 4 minutes later. Ilya Lyubushkin slashed Nikolaj Ehlers, and it looked like Ehlers was in some discomfort on the Jets bench following the slash. The Jets were unsuccessful on their first powerplay, but they managed their first 2 shots on goal of the game.

The Jets used the advantage to start creating more scoring chances, and they would tie the game minutes later. After a blocked shot from Gabriel Vilardi that went behind the Stars net, Kyle Connor picked up the puck and did a perfect wrap-around as he tucked the puck past Jake Oettinger for his 5th of the playoffs.

Looking for their first lead of the game, the Jets went on their 2nd powerplay 3 minutes later after Jamie Benn was holding Nino Niederreiter’s stick. The Jets 2nd powerplay was unsuccessful, but their were still signs that the Jets were trying to get in control of this game. Seconds after the powerplay ended, the Jets were about to be called for a penalty, but on the delayed penalty, Sam Steel and Mikael Granlund set up Thomas Harley in the slot and he snapped one up past Hellebuyck to give the Stars a 2-1 lead.

This fast paced 1st period ended with the Stars ahead 2-1, and the Stars led in shots on goal 9-8. Each team had 2 powerplay opportunities, and the Stars led in hits 18-11. The Stars looked like the better team in the 1st period as they used their home crowd to their advantage, so it would now be up to the Jets to quiet this crowd in the remaining 40 minutes as they tried to get back in this game.

The first 5 minutes of the 2nd period were fairly uneventful, with no penalties and each team managing just a couple of shots on goal. You could tell that the next goal was an important one, as both teams took a cautious approach in the opening minutes.

The “uneventfulness” ended right after the 10 minute mark when Nino Niederreiter tied this game at 2. Niederreiter’s 4th goal in the last 6 games was set up by Colin Miller and a perfect pass by Josh Morrissey that went between two Stars defenders. The pass set up Niederreiter in prime shooting position at the bottom of the faceoff dot before he snapped one past Oettinger to make it a 2-2 game.

5 minutes after the game tying goal, the Jets went on their 3rd powerplay of the game after Mikko Rantanen tripped Dylan DeMelo. Still looking for a goal on the man advantage, the Jets couldn’t get an extended time in the Stars zone, and the Jets went to 0/3 on the powerplay in the late stages of the 2nd period. This fairly evenly matched 2nd ended with the game still tied at 2, and the Jets outshot the Stars 9-8 in the 2nd, while the Stars continue to lead in total shots on goal 18-17.

The Stars got some momentum early in the 3rd period as they got a few early chances on Hellebuyck. At nearly the 4 minute mark, Sam Steel and Mikko Rantanen set up Alexander Petrovic at the side of the net, and the puck went off his skate and deflected up off Hellebuyck’s stick and wobbled past him to make it 3-2 Stars.

The goal went to a lengthy almost 7 minute goal review to see if it was kicking motion. The call on the ice stood, as the ref said that after the puck was kicked it was Hellebuyck that put the puck into his own net, meaning the Stars took the lead. 50 seconds later, Mikael Granlund and Roope Hintz set up Rantanen at the side of the slot, and he snapped one past Hellebuyck to make it 4-2 Stars.

Rantanen’s 9th of the playoffs left the Jets stunned after Petrovic’s questionable goal 50 seconds earlier, and Scott Arniel took a timeout right away the 4-2 goal to settle down his team. The Jets responded well after the timeout, creating a few solid scoring chances right after the following faceoff. With 10 minutes to play it was still 4-2 Stars, but the Jets looked like they still had a chance of battling back in this game.

4 minutes later, Wyatt Johnston put this game away for the Stars as they took a 5-2 lead. Evgenii Dadonov and Jamie Benn set up Johnston off the rush following a rebound, and Johnston made no mistake, snapping the puck past Hellebuyck. With 2:23 left in the game, the Jets got their 4th powerplay after Johnston was called for high sticking. The Jets pulled Hellebuyck and went on the 6 on 4 advantage for almost the rest of the game.

Roope Hintz almost made it 6-2 Stars, but he missed the empty net with seconds to go, and the time ticked away on the Jets and game 3 ended 5-2 Stars. The Jets fall to 0-4 on the road in the playoffs, as another 3 point night from Rantanen led the Stars to a 2-1 series lead. Final shots on goal were 26-25 Stars.

The start of the game looked promising for the Jets, but after the 3-2 goal counted, the Stars took over this game. A quick 2 goals was the difference this afternoon, and Hellebuyck allows 5+ goals on the road again. This series continues on Tuesday, with game 4 happening again in Dallas, with puck drop set for 7 pm CT.

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