Jets rally comes in short in loss to Stars

DALLAS, Texas - The final result wasn't what he wanted, but Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice saw something he liked from his team in the 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars.
"I just liked the way we didn't quit. You get into NHL games, you have to deal with injuries. We've been good at that. We have a lot of banged up guys in there," said Maurice, who didn't shy away from giving Dallas credit for the way they played in the win.
"I was exceptionally proud that we didn't mail in a third period down 3-0. They came back and competed right through it, and it still wasn't easy.
"We need this break badly because we're running on fumes."

At the end of a stretch of nine games in 16 days, with bumps and bruises really starting to pile up, the Jets turned a 3-0 deficit through 40 minutes into a tight 3-2 game thanks to two goals 21 seconds apart before the third period was four minutes old.
But that's as close as the Jets would get, as they fell to 31-15-2 on the season - a record that puts them on top of the Central Division.
"We were in the box too much. They played a good game. They were desperate and we weren't able to match that through the first two," said Blake Wheeler.
"We were able to get some momentum in the third, but it just wasn't enough."
Dallas opened the scoring 7:53 into the contest when Brett Ritchie tipped home a John Klingberg point shot on the power play. The deflected puck squeaked under Connor Hellebuyck's left pad, ending a streak of 12 successful kills that spanned three games.
Blake Comeau added to the Dallas lead 22 seconds into the second period. He pounced on a rebound from Esa Lindell's wrist shot from just inside the Jets blue line.
"They were just faster than us. They played quicker. They were on the puck," said Mark Scheifele said of the Stars who snapped a four-game losing streak with the win over Winnipeg.
"It wasn't the 40 minutes (we wanted) but we battled hard and stuck together in that third, and made it an exciting one."

Then after a Jets power play expired, the Stars came back the other way. Radek Faksa snapped a shot off the rush from the left wing beating Hellebuyck over the glove. It was 3-0 Stars with 6:24 to go in the second.
For a Jets team that had won four straight coming into the night, it was a tough spot to be in.
"Nine (games) in 16 (days), sometimes the heart is willing, but the legs don't want to get in behind you. You're a little bit slow, they're real fast and it gets away from you," said Maurice.
"But they found a way to fight back. Good on them."
Two quick goals from the Jets early in the third turned a three-goal deficit into just one.
First, Brendan Lemieux drove the net hard from the right wing and tucked home his third goal of the road trip through Ben Bishop's legs.
Just 21 seconds later, Kyle Connor ripped home a one-timer from the right circle off a fantastic backhand pass from Wheeler.
"We don't give up. We never do in this room," said Wheeler. "Regardless of the score we're going to keep battling to the end. Even if they make it a big lead, we're going to keep fighting. That's a group of guys you can go to work with every single day knowing you have a chance to win."
But Tyler Seguin's deflection on a late Dallas power play caused the puck to drop three feet and bounce past Hellebuyck. That put Dallas up 4-2 with 1:45 to go.
Now the Jets enter the five-day player break, followed by the NHL All-Star Weekend, which Scheifele will be attending for the first time.
"I'm going to enjoy some time in the sun," said Scheifele. "I'll enjoy a bit of a break then go to San Jose and enjoy the All-Star Game with my family, so I'm excited for that."