Winnipeg Jets Score 5 in Second, Beat Dallas Stars 8-3 in Rout

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

DALLAS — For one period Thursday night, the Dallas Stars looked like the team Glen Gulutzan wanted. They spent the rest of the night chasing it.

Winnipeg scored five goals in the second period and eight of the game’s last nine, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat Dallas 8-3 before a sellout crowd of 18,532 at American Airlines Center.

“We self-inflicted most of that stuff,” Gulutzan said.

The loss ended Dallas’ five-game winning streak against Winnipeg and left captain Jamie Benn one point shy of 1,000 for his career. The Stars fell to 10-6-2. The Jets won their fifth straight and improved to 9-8-3.

Second period turns it

Arttu Hyry opened the scoring 4:19 into the game, and Roope Hintz faked Stuart Skinner and slid the puck under him at 18:32 for a 2-0 lead. In between, Dallas won an offside challenge that erased a Kyle Connor power-play goal.

“Our team is prepared to play. Everybody watched the first period, and you can’t say we weren’t, but when you give up five goals and you open the door you have to stick with it,” Gulutzan said.

Winnipeg started its comeback 1:10 into the second, when defenseman Dylan Samberg scored unassisted. Mark Scheifele tied it at 7:03, moments after a Dallas icing.

David Perron answered with his first goal with the Stars at 11:14, assisted by Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist. Lundkvist had returned after taking a puck to the face earlier in the period.

The lead lasted 2:41. Dawson Mercer tied it at 13:55. With Benn in the penalty box for slashing, Scheifele scored on the power play at 18:12. Mercer added a backhand goal with 7 seconds left in the period.

“That mindset is wrong and it has been here for a bit,” Gulutzan said. “There’s a lot of pressure on these guys, and it’s not a character thing. We have a high character group. There’s a lot of want and desire, but we are channeling that want and desire in the wrong way.”

Connor scored early in the third, ending the night for Jake Oettinger. The goaltender entered the game with an NHL-leading three shutouts and a 1.99 goals-against average. Casey DeSmith replaced him.

“It’s shocking. Obviously, uncharacteristic of us,” Oettinger said. “Everyone in the room knows that it’s not good enough. Every guy needs to be better, including myself.”

“It wasn’t his best game, for sure,” Gulutzan said of Oettinger. “We have other guys that are in that mode, too.”

Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Koepke then scored 14 seconds apart, at 15:12 and 15:26. A late Dallas goal was waved off after officials ruled the puck had been kicked in.

Dallas outshot Winnipeg 33-30, but Skinner stopped 30 shots. Connor, Scheifele and Vilardi each scored for the Jets. Scheifele finished with two goals and an assist, tying Dale Hawerchuk’s Jets record for career points.

“I think we got what we deserve,” Perron said. “We’re going to learn a lot from this one.”

“I think you have to look in the mirror,” Benn said. “Obviously, a pretty ugly night. Unacceptable.”

Short on defense

Dallas played most of the night with five defensemen. Lian Bichsel was helped off the ice by the medical staff 3:50 into the game and did not return because of a lower-body injury.

The Stars were already without Miro Heiskanen, who missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury. Lundkvist logged a career-high 24:01 of ice time. Harley had two assists, and the first was the 111th of his career, passing Philippe Boucher for 18th among defensemen in franchise history.

Gulutzan said his team’s issues are not about game planning or preparation.

“We’re going to turn it around. There’s no question about that, but we need … a blueprint,” he said. “I know exactly what the problem is. And we’ll get it addressed.”

Up next

Dallas continues its homestand at 7 p.m. Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. Benn will try again for his 1,000th career point. Only Mike Modano has reached that mark with the franchise.

“It would have been nice also just to get that other one for 14 [Benn] there,” Perron said, “but we’re going to get that one for him next game.”