Adam Lowry believes the Winnipeg Jets discovered one other gear on Thursday that was pushed by a strong emotion.
“Desperation,” the Jets captain mentioned.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice, Mark Scheifele had a aim and an help and Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves to assist Winnipeg keep away from elimination with a 4-0 victory over the Dallas Stars in Sport 5 of their second-round sequence.
The Stars lead the best-of-seven playoff matchup 3-2 with Sport 6 set for Saturday night time in Dallas.
“I think all year we’ve been a great team at home,” Lowry mentioned. “I just thought start to finish, the structure, the way we wanted to play. We were quick with our decisions, we were quick with the reads, quick supporting the puck all over the ice.”
Vladislav Namestnikov additionally had a aim and an help. Kyle Connor and Neal Pionk each contributed two helpers in entrance of a roaring whiteout crowd at Canada Life Centre.
Winnipeg Jets followers had loads to cheer about Thursday night time at Canada Life Centre. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press)
Jake Oettinger stopped 31 photographs for the Stars.
“It was everybody stepping up, not wanting to be eliminated tonight,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel mentioned. “You could see it right from the puck drop, the opening shift. We didn’t take our foot off the gas.”
It was the fifth time in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers’ franchise historical past that an opponent has been shut out within the playoffs.
Winnipeg, which received the Presidents’ Trophy with a franchise-record 56 wins and 116 factors, is an NHL-best 6-1 at dwelling this post-season.
Its albatross is away video games.
The Jets have misplaced all 5 street video games within the Western Convention playoffs, together with of their first-round sequence towards the St. Louis Blues that Winnipeg received in a Sport 7 double additional time at dwelling.
“We haven’t played well on the road at all this playoff, so no better time than now to start,” Lowry mentioned.
Hellebuyck shrugged off these outcomes.
“Doesn’t matter what happens in the past,” he mentioned. “We got one game ahead of us and we just need to focus on winning that one.”
Stars veteran ahead Matt Duchene is able to return dwelling.
“We knew this wasn’t going to be easy,” he mentioned. “We knew they weren’t going to roll over on us. We’re going to Dallas here and see if we can end it.”
The Jets and Stars began the night time with every crew getting an influence play within the recreation’s opening eight minutes. Oettinger made a glove save to thwart a Connor one-timer, and Hellebuyck turned apart a Roope Hintz shot.
Dallas got here up empty on its second man benefit with six minutes remaining.
Hellebuyck was well-oiled early within the second body, whipping out his glove to make a close-in save on Stars defenceman Thomas Harley.
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger seems again after a shot by the Jets’ Mark Scheifele bounced off Dallas defenceman Thomas Harley to open the scoring for the house crew Thursday night time in Winnipeg. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press)
The goaltender additionally had a hand in Scheifele’s fourth aim of the playoffs at 6:17.
After Hellebuyck made a poke verify to start out the four-on-four play, Scheifele was the trailer and shot the puck that first hit Stars ahead Wyatt Johnson after which went into the web off Harley’s skate.
Winnipeg nearly made it 2-0 on the ability play with 53 seconds remaining, nevertheless it was dominated the puck was gloved into the web.
Jets followers began chanting, “should have kicked it,” referring to a controversial game-winning aim by Dallas ahead Alexander Petrovic within the Stars’ Sport 3 win. A assessment had dominated Petrovic’s kick of the puck towards the web was really propelled in by Hellebuyck’s stick-save try.
Winnipeg outshot Dallas 11-5 within the center body.
The Jets went forward 2-0 simply 31 seconds right into a five-on-three early within the third interval after Ehlers swept the puck round Oettinger at 2:20.
Nikolaj Ehlers tucks the puck previous Oettinger within the third interval to place the Jets up 2-0. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press)
“We don’t want to be done playing hockey and today showed that,” Ehlers mentioned. “We’ve just got to take that to the next game.”
Namestnikov capitalized with 10 seconds remaining in a person benefit when his excessive shot beat Oettinger with 7:53 left.
Ehlers despatched the puck into an empty internet with 45 seconds remaining for his fifth aim of the playoffs.
Beating the percentages
The Jets defied some all-time NHL stats with the victory.
Based on the league, groups down 3-1 in a playoff sequence solely have a 44.7 per cent likelihood of successful Sport 5.
It was the second time the Jets had been going through elimination on this season’s Stanley Cup playoffs, and the tenth time in franchise historical past. Their mark is now 3-7.
WATCH | Jets followers take pleasure in wet, raucous whiteout road occasion:
Winnipeg followers courageous the rain to observe Jets beat Dallas in Sport 5
Winnipeg Jets followers didn’t let a wet night dampen their spirits, as they cheered loud and onerous for the house crew throughout a 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars in Sport 5 of their best-of-seven playoff sequence.
