When the Dallas Stars travel to Winnipeg to face the Jets tonight (Nov. 9), they will be playing in the third country in three games over eight days. After losing two games to the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers last weekend in Finland, they took the 11-hour direct flight back to Texas. The Stars arrived at their home arena Thursday night (Nov. 7) for a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Now the Stars will face their biggest test of the season in facing the Jets, who became only the second team in NHL history to begin a season with at least 13 wins in their first 14 games when they defeated the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 on Thursday.
The Jets are Excelling in These Areas
Winnipeg has been outstanding on the power play, converting on a league-leading 42.11 percent of their man advantages (16 of 38.) Both units assembled by new assistant coach Davis Payne have looked consistently dangerous and move the puck wonderfully, with the first unit (Nikolaj Ehlers/Gabriel Vilardi/Mark Scheifele/Kyle Connor/Josh Morrissey) cashing in for nine goals and the second unit (Nino Niederreiter/Vladislav Namestnikov/Cole Perfetti/Alex Iafallo/Neal Pionk) cashing in for seven.
One area where the Jets have also improved is on the blue line. Coming into the season, many thought they had only one reliable defensive pairing. However, through the first 14 games, their second defensive pairing of Neal Pionk and Dylan Samberg has been very solid. Pionk, who has struggled in a top-four role over the past few seasons from a defensive standpoint, looks like a new player in the final year of his four-year contract. The 29-year-old has three goals, ten assists for 13 points, and a plus-9 rating in 14 games and is on pace to break his career-high in points.
Samberg, Pionk’s fellow Minnesotan, has seized his first chance for top-four minutes and is thriving in his new role. The now 25-year-old has been rock solid overall, averaging 20-plus minutes per night and posting three goals, two assists, and a plus-7 rating.
The Stars Must Continue to Excel in These Areas
Last season, Dallas finished second in the NHL in faceoffs won, behind only Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. They continue to be strong again this season, especially after Thursday night’s game against the Blackhawks, where captain Jamie Benn won all 16 faceoffs he took, making him just the sixth player in the NHL to achieve the feat since the NHL started tracking faceoffs in 1997. Controlling the puck will be a must if the Stars want to go into Winnipeg and grab some points.
Good.#TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/Xc04V1obPO
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 8, 2024
Before the win against the Blackhawks, the Stars’ offense also had problems against Florida in Finland, generating just two goals in the second loss to the Panthers on that trip. Like the Jets, the Panthers came into these international series games on a hot streak, and the Stars will have to show they can score against the elite teams in the league. The Stars will look for forward Tyler Seguin for scoring help, as he leads active Stars and ranks fifth among active NHL skaters in career scoring against Winnipeg with 54 points (29-25—54) in 49 games, including 28 points (15-13—28) in 24 road games.
The Stars will also seek help from Matt Duchene, who has seven goals and eight assists. Logan Stankoven has been productive despite frequently moving around the lineup. He’s up to two goals, ten helpers, 33 shots on net, and a plus-4 rating through 12 appearances.
What to Watch for in Stars vs. Jets
The Jets have won two of their past five games against the Stars after going 4-2-4 in the previous ten meetings. Six of the past 12 games between Winnipeg and Dallas have been decided in overtime or a shootout. Mark Scheifele has seven goals and 11 assists for the Jets, while Cole Perfetti has been outstanding over the last ten games and now has 11 points and a plus-9 rating on the season.
Forward Jason Robertson is averaging better than a point per game against the Jets in his career (9-3—12 in 11 games played). Robertson has points in all but three games vs. Winnipeg and has goals in six of the 11. Robertson recorded his first career NHL hat trick against the Jets on March 4, 2022, to become the fourth player in franchise history (1967-present) to cap a regular-season hat trick with an overtime goal and the first to do so since the club relocated to Dallas.
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Kyle Connor ranks eighth in scoring across the NHL and leads Winnipeg with 19 points (9-10—19) in 14 games. He started the season on a 12-game point streak, including a four-point game on Oct. 28 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs. The first time he was held without a point was Nov. 5 vs. the Utah Hockey Club.
Jake Oettinger ranks as a top-five goalie at 6-2-0 with a 2.26 goals-against average (GAA) and a .922 save percentage. As important, he is 5-1-1 in his career against Winnipeg with a 1.99 GAA, a .924 save percentage, and one shutout. Jets’ goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is 11-9-5 against the Stars with a 2.67 GAA and a .916 save percentage.
The Stars’ game against the Jets begins a schedule of very challenging games over the next week. After traveling to Winnipeg, the Stars head to Pittsburgh to face Sidney Crosby and the Penguins on Monday (Nov. 11). They then head home on Thursday (Nov. 14) to face the Boston Bruins. They head north next Saturday (Nov. 16) to take on the Minnesota Wild.
