The Dallas Stars are one win away from their third straight trip to the Western Conference Final. The team accomplished the feat in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. Back in the 2020 “bubble” playoffs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Stars reached the Stanley Cup Final. In sum, the Stars have reached at least the third round of the playoffs in three of the previous five seasons.
Before the Stars can make it three in a row/four in six, Pete DeBoer’s team has a tough task at hand. The Winnipeg Jets, recipients of the 2024-25 President’s Trophy, are 5-1 on home ice during this year’s playoffs. Scott Arniel’s team went 30-7-4 at Canada Life Centre during the regular season.
Winnipeg’s lone home-ice blemish in these playoffs: Game One of the current series. Buoyed by Mikko Rantanen natural hat trick, the Stars skated to a 3-2 victory. However, road play has been Winnipeg’s real Achilles heel this spring. Including the Stars’ 3-1 win Dallas on Tuesday, the Jets are now 0-5 on the road.
The Stars, of course, would much prefer to wrap up the current series tonight. There’s nothing they’d like more than to silence the White Out Party in hostile territory. Moreover, while the Stars hold a three games to one lead going to into Game Five, two of the matches (Game One or Game Four) could have swung either way. With a bounce here or a momentum save there, the Jets could be leading just as easily as the Stars.
The biggest difference makers:
- The Dallas Finns. Rantanen has been a one-man wrecking crew. Mikael Granlund racked up a Game Four hat trick. Meanwhile, Roope Hintz is having a strong series in his own right. Miro Heiskanen returned on Tuesday after a three-plus month absence due to knee surgery.
- Goalie play. Jake Oettinger has outplayed Connor Hellebuyck overall, but that could always change.
- Strong closeouts. The St. Louis Blues will attest to the fact that the Jets are dangerous right up until the final buzzer. In this series so far, the Stars have been effective in protecting third-period leads and/or adding to them.
- Winning experience. The Stars have proven they know their way to the Western Conference Final. Right now, however, they need one more win to reach that stage again.
