Jets at Stars
The Dallas Stars are off to a great start, leading the Western Conference in points and goals scored, but as coach Lindy Ruff told reporters Wednesday: “Now the fun begins.” The Stars host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, the first of two consecutive home games against Central Division rivals, and better play within the division is crucial.
“You start getting inside your division and your conference,” Ruff said one day after the Stars’ gave up two goals in the final eight minutes, falling 3-2 at home to Toronto to snap their three-game winning streak. “We have another question we have to answer.” Dallas knows all too well the importance of games such as Thursday’s with the Jets and Saturday’s home matchup against Minnesota, missing the playoffs last season in part because of an 8-14-7 record against Central teams last season. The Jets opened a four-game road trip Tuesday by playing arguably their worst period of the season, getting torched for four second-period goals in a 5-3 loss at Minnesota. Bryan Little did his part to keep the Jets in it, finishing with two goals and an assist for his seventh multi-point game of the season.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE JETS (8-6-2): Winnipeg’s defense gave up four consecutive goals in an 8:14 span of the second period, including a pair of breakaway tallies as Ondrej Pavelec was pulled after stopping only eight of 12 shots. Michael Hutchinson took over and turned aside 15-of-16 shots and likely will get the start Thursday against one of the league’s best offenses. “They’re as offensively gifted as any team is in the National Hockey League,” Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice told reporters Wednesday.
ABOUT THE STARS (12-4-0): Center Tyler Seguin and forward Jamie Benn remain the top-scoring duo in the NHL. Seguin leads the league in assists (14) and shares the league lead with 23 points (two ahead of Benn), while Benn is tied for the goal-scoring lead with 10 goals (one in front of Seguin). Goaltender Antti Niemi has allowed seven goals in his past two games, both losses to the Maple Leafs, while Kari Lehtonen – who played five seasons when the Jets’ franchise was based in Atlanta – has won six of seven starts.
OVERTIME
1. Winnipeg rookie C Andrew Copp played 8:18 on Tuesday in his return from an upper body injury.
2. Dallas assigned D Patrik Nemeth and F Devin Shore to Texas of the American Hockey League on Wednesday, and Ruff said F Patrick Eaves is close to returning from a lower body injury.
3. Maurice moved F Chris Thorburn to the third line in Wednesday’s practice, dropping C Alexander Burmistrov to the fourth line.