Jets at Stars
The Dallas Stars hold the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but frustration is growing as the team continues to look like anything but a playoff team. Dallas has dropped four straight games following Thursday’s 2-1 defeat to Los Angeles, and the Stars have managed three goals during their slide which includes three consecutive losses at home to kick off a six-game homestand that includes a visit from the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
“We can’t keep counting on other teams to lose,” Dallas forward Blake Comeau said after Thursday’s loss, as the Stars begin the weekend in seventh place in the West with 50 points. “We haven’t been playing very good hockey at all lately, and it’s up to the guys in the room to turn it around.” The task does not get easier Saturday as the high-flying Jets - leaders of the Central Division and one point behind Calgary for the conference's top spot - arrive after smashing Nashville on the road 5-1 on Thursday. Winnipeg has won four games in a row and rode a stellar performance by its fourth line (three goals, one assist) to beat the Predators. “Any night your fourth line can produce, it’s important,” Jets forward Brendan Lemieux told reporters after he scored twice. “It’s not just about our line. It was a good game for us.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet Pacific (Winnipeg), FS Southwest Plus (Dallas)
ABOUT THE JETS (31-14-2): Winnipeg has scored four goals or more in each of its past seven victories, and ranked sixth in the NHL in scoring at 3.49 goals per game entering Friday. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 37 saves against the Predators, while four of the Jets goals came from bottom six forwards (Lemieux’s two tallies, Brandon Tanev and Mason Appleton). Center Bryan Little scored the other Winnipeg goal, giving him goals in five of his past seven games and nine points in that span.
ABOUT THE STARS (23-21-4): Dallas forward Alexander Radulov, second on the team in points (40) and third in goals (14), was benched for the final 10 minutes of the first period Thursday. Forward Jamie Benn and center Tyler Seguin have combined for 35 goals but the Stars needed an extra-attacker goal from defenseman Esa Lindell on a deflection to avoid a second-consecutive shutout. Ben Bishop made 17 saves in goal Thursday, dropping to 1-3-0 with 10 goals allowed in his past four starts, but ranked third in the NHL in goals against average (2.38).
OVERTIME
1. The Stars have scored a league-low 22 first-period goals this season.
2. Jets coach Paul Maurice coached his 1,494th game Thursday, passing Lindy Ruff for sixth in NHL history.
3. Winnipeg does not play again after Saturday until a two-game road trip to Philadelphia and Boston on Jan. 28-29 because of its annual players break and the All-Star break.