Do you want the bad news, the very bad news or the tiny sliver of encouragement. OK, first the bad news. The Winnipeg Jets have no margin for error left in their Western Conference Semifinal series with the Dallas Stars. Dallas skated to a 3-1 win at American Airlines Center on Tuesday evening. Scott Arniel’s Jets trail the series, three games to one.
Meanwhile, here’s the very bad news. Even if the Jets rise to the challenge at Canada Life Centre on Thursday, the Jets MUST get off the schneid on the road in order to find a way to win this series. By virtue of losing Game One on home ice, it will be impossible to duplicate the formula of the St. Louis Blues’ series. The Jets are 5-1 at home so far in the plays. Alas, that’s not good enough.
Now, let’s switch gears. There is a ray of hope. The Jets remain a dominant home team. If the series goes the distance, two of the three remaining games are in Winnipeg. Additionally, even during segments of the three games the Jets have lost in the series, they haven’t look to be that far off their game.
You know the old lament: one more save here, one clutch goal there. It’s cold comfort. Even so, it’s also true.
Good start gone awry
The Jets began Game Four carrying the play. Arniel’s club controlled puck possession and had the Stars on their heels for a while. Even so, it went for naught. Each time he faced a tough chance, Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger shut the door.
With the exception of Game Two, Connor Hellebuyck has not come up with the momentum-changing saves at crucial times. There’s plenty of blame to go around for Winnipeg. Even so, the fact remains that Dallas has gotten the better situational goaltending overall.
Another ill-timed penalty
Dylan DeMelo took an unnecessary holding penalty in the neutral zone. On the ensuing PP, Mikael Granlund skated the puck up the ice, crossed the blueline and fired the puck past Connor Hellebuyck cleanly to open the scoring. It was another shot from distance hat Hellebuyck has to stop at this stage especially when his counterpart is making the same saves at the other end of the ice.
The Jets limited the Stars to only five shots in the first period. Still, Winnipeg trailed, 1-0. The Jets took a carryover power play into the middle frame.
Good start to the second period
Moments after their power play expired a minute into the middle frame, Nikolaj Ehlers caught Oettinger off guard to score through the five-hole and tie the game at 1-1. That’s where the score stayed for most of the frame.
he Jets again carried the play for the majority of the second period. Once again, whenever Winnipeg got good looks, Oettinger made all the saves. The game seemed destined to go to the third period tied at 1-1. Suddenly, on a 2-on-1 counter attack, Granlund scored again. This time, he beat Hellebuyck high to the glove side.
Now, 40 minutes were gone. Yet again, the Jets went to intermission trailing by a goal.
Special teams fail the Jets
Just four minutes into the final period, Hadyn Fleury took a 4-minute double minor for high-sticking Roope Hintz. The game reached its most critical crossroads. Kyle Connor had a partial breakaway with a chance to tie the game. Instead, Oettinger stoned one of the Jets’ most dangerous attackers
With but a few seconds left in the double minor, Granlund completed his hat-trick. Taking a feathery feed from Miro Heiskanen, Granlund blasting a one-timer past Hellebuyck to the short side. Lack of scoring plus lack of critical saves equals, well, no margin for error.
Meanwhile, the Jets’ power play, which was the best in the league during the regular season, continued its playoff failure. The PP has produced only one goal in four games thus far in this series. By contrast, the Stars power play has four goals. If the Jets cannot win the special teams battle, their players have to do their part and at least not take very careless and obvious penalties.
Fear the Finns
Heiskanen’s return from a late January knee injury bodes very well for his Dallas club. He’s Dallas’ number one defenseman and, arguably, among the best all-around blueliners in the NHL. Forward Mikko Rantanen, of course, has been a one-man wrecking machine for the Stars in these playoffs. Now, veteran teammate Granlund stepped up to deliver a hat trick.
Fear the Finns, indeed.
A deep hole
After playing a much cleaner game and putting up 31 shots on Oettinger, the Jets mustered only a single goal. At the risk of stating the obvious, this must change immediately. Then it has to stay that way in Games Six and Seven.
The daunting task of coming back from a 3-1 series deficit starts on Thursday night. It’s now or never. Otherwise, Thursday is the season’s final White-Out party of the year. Once again, as with the first round, the Jets have no margin for error. The odds are now stacked against a comeback.
