Stars hold off Jets despite Connor’s hat trick, spoil Toews NHL return

WINNIPEG -- Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists, and the Dallas Stars held off the Winnipeg Jets despite Kyle Connor’s hat trick for a 5-4 season-opening win at Canada Life Centre on Thursday.

“I think we were really good 5-on-5, defending and offensively playing well,” Rantanen said. “But obviously third period, especially the power play, we've got to be more careful. They're looking for breaks like that and we gave them two easy ones. But we learn, we learn from it and we go forward.”

Connor’s third goal of the game came cut it to 5-4 with 3:03 remaining in the third period for the Jets, who scored three times in the period after trailing 5-1.

“We didn't play a complete 60 tonight,” said Connor, who signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with the Jets on Wednesday. “The bottom line is, we want to get some wins in this league… (I’m) just trying to contribute as much as I can and show a little more leadership this year. And I think over the years, I've definitely grown into that.”

Jonathan Toews had a shot on goal and a takeaway in 18:19 of ice time in his debut for his hometown team in Winnipeg, his first NHL game since April 13, 2023, after health issues prevented him from playing the past two seasons.

“I think it is just really exciting before the game,” Toews said. “But then once you get your legs out under you, you just go out there and play. But as the game went on you just try not to think about it too much and just enjoy it. You enjoy it when you play your best, and I just tried to find a way to do that.”

Toews played for the Chicago Blackhawks from 2008-23, winning the Stanley Cup three times as their captain (2010, 2013, 2015).

“Just, you know, close, but a lot of room for improvement,” Toews said of his own game. “A lot of little things I can do better. Definitely trying to start the play with the puck off the face-offs; didn’t really get that going for my line out there. But other than that there were some situations where the three of us created and had some chances, even on the power play as well. I was pretty close to making things happen, getting us on the board, so I think there are some positives I’m excited about. [I’ll] just keep trying to build on it.”

Jason Robertson and Nils Lundkvist each had a goal and an assist, and Thomas Harley and Roope Hintz each had two assists for the Stars. Jake Oettinger made 21 saves.

Glen Gulutzan won his debut in his second stint as Dallas coach after being hired on July 1. He previously coached the Stars from 2011-2013.

“Nothing mimics the first round of playoffs more, in my opinion, than the first five (or) six games of the season,” Gulutzan said. "Everybody's juiced up. There's a lot of energy in the buildings. Everybody's healthy, for the most part, and there's a lot of energy. And the games can get a little crazy, and that's what happened tonight.”

Morgan Barron scored, and Mark Scheifele had three assists for the Jets, who were also playing their season opener. Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves.

"Certainly you have to give Dallas credit, but for 50 minutes we were not a very good hockey team,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. “Our structure and detail in all three areas wasn’t very good. They’re too good of a hockey team to make those kind of mistakes.”

Rantanen made it 1-0 Dallas at 3:15 of the first period when the rebound from Hintz’s shot from in close went off Hellebuyck’s mask and to Rantanen alone in front.

“He was in everything,” Gulutzan said of Rantanen. “Took penalties. He was in all fabrics of the game, you know, and you like that. You want guys with a full stat line, and he competes hard. That's what I love about him -- he competes and he's got some fire -- and that's what it takes.”

Connor tied it 1-1 at 6:19, collecting Scheifele’s cross-slot pass and shooting it under Oettinger’s glove.

“It doesn't take much for him to find holes to get that shot off,” Arniel said. “The first one, it looked like he was running out of room but he gets it back on his stick and puts it (inside) the bar. He's just a goal-scorer. That's what he does. When he gets time, he gets space, he gets 1-on-1 with the goalie, 90 percent of the time it's in the net."

Lundkvist put the Stars back ahead 2-1 at 15:24, scoring with a snap shot from the high slot.

Dallas made it 4-1 with two goals in a span of 34 seconds in the third. Robertson scored on the power play at 1:01 before Tyler Seguin’s goal at 1:35.

“[Rantanen’s] playing with some bite out there,” Robertson said. “I think everyone was just jacked up to get started, but when he gets going he starts feeling it, gets physical. It just adds another element to his game.”

Wyatt Johnston then pushed it to 5-1 at 3:23.

“We gave that top line a couple too many looks,” Connor said. “They hurt us a bit there. And we just got to be smart when guys like that are on the ice, but the end of the day, like I said earlier, I think the response is the biggest thing that we show in this group, and we got to take that and move on.”

Winnipeg later responded with two short-handed goals in a span of 1:16.

Barron stole the puck in the Jets’ end while killing a 5-on-3 Stars power play and skated the length of the ice to score on the breakaway and cut it to 5-2 at 9:53. Connor then scored his second goal of the game on a partial break off his own rebound to make it 5-3 at 11:09.

“The short-handed goal sparked us,” Arniel said. “Kind of put a little more urgency into us and we won a few more battles -- little bit more of the things we needed to do during the first 50 minutes."

NOTES: Connor extended his NHL-record streak of scoring a goal in season-opening games to eight (2018-19 to 2025-26). The only players with a streak of six or more contests are Cam Atkinson (six games from 2014-15 to 2019-20), Yvan Cournoyer (six; 1973-74 to 1978-79) and Mud Bruneteau (six; 1940-41 to 1945-46). … Oettinger (4-0-0) became the first goaltender in Stars/North Stars history to win four season-opening games, passing Marty Turco (3-1-3), Cesare Maniago (3-4-0), Kari Lehtonen (3-2-1) and Ed Belfour (3-0-2). … Scheifele (10 goals, seven assists; 17 points) passed Blake Wheeler (seven goals, seven assists; 14 points) for the most points in season-opening games in Jets/Thrashers history.