Heika’s Take: Flat, undisciplined play dooms Stars in Game 5 loss to Jets

The home and away cat-and-mouse game that has flavored the Stars’ Second Round playoff series with the Winnipeg Jets followed its natural course Thursday in Game 5.

Winnipeg took a 4-0 win at Canada Life Centre and forced a Game 6 Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Stars (who are up 3-2 in the series) were able to steal Game 1 in Winnipeg, but then the two teams have protected home ice in the following four games. The Jets looked a lot like they did in Game 2, as goalie Connor Hellebuyck earned a shutout in net and the Stars had trouble getting pressure on the big veteran goalie.

“We knew they would [play desperate], elimination game, you knew that was going to be the case,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “They won the Presidents’ Trophy, right? That’s a really good team. We do have a great opportunity to go home and win this at home. We did what we had to do, which is win one game in here in order to give us this opportunity of this elimination game and if not, we’ll have to come back in here and win another one.”

These past two games in Winnipeg show just how daunting a task that might be. The Jets in Game 5 had a 35-22 advantage in shots on goal and a 52-46 edge in shot attempts. They had a 52-33 advantage in hits and also won 52 percent of the faceoffs. Winnipeg controlled much of the game, so when it got a few breaks, it definitely earned them.

The first goal came in a 4-on-4 situation where a shot deflected in off both the stick of Wyatt Johnston and then the skate of Stars defenseman Thomas Harley. You could chop it up to bad luck, but Winnipeg controlled the puck in transition and got it to the net to create the opportunity.

All that said, it was still just 1-0 heading into the third period because of Stars goalie Jake Oettinger.

“He was really good,” center Matt Duchene said. “We know we can depend on him back there. He’s been a rock for us, and we would have liked to give him some run support tonight.”

The Jets then took over in the third period on the strength of their power play. Winnipeg had been struggling on the man advantage, but Dallas took two tripping minors 11 second apart and Nikolaj Ehlers tucked in a 5-on-3 goal two minutes into the period for a 2-0 lead.

That was a gut punch.

Then, Lian Bichsel took a roughing penalty midway through the third, and the Jets cashed in for a 3-0 lead.

“I thought we actually weathered the storm okay,” DeBoer said. “Jake was really good early, which you need. I think the goal off our own skate, the 4-on-4 goal, that’s a tough one to give up. Then, you give up the 5-on-3 goal. You go on the road, especially in an elimination game, and you get two goals like that, it’s really tough to win.”

Mix that with the fact the offense didn’t put nearly enough pucks at Hellebuyck, and the formula for winning wasn’t there.

“They’re a great team,” Duchene said. “When they get out to a lead, they’re really good at protecting it. Hellebuyck the last two games in this building has been really good. You look at some of the plays and the saves he made…we had a goal post there at 1-0. Seems like that keeps happening every time we’re at a key moment. We had some good looks, it just didn’t go in. Special teams is huge this time of year and we know that. We took too many penalties. Our PK had to be out there too much, and eventually you let a good enough power play, good enough players touch the puck, you break down.”

Now, the Stars are the team that has to have desperation. They have been shut out in back-to-back games in Winnipeg, so they don’t want to come back for Game 7. If they can take care of business in Game 6 on Saturday, they get to move on to face Edmonton in the Western Conference Final.

Asked if the Stars will be a little more desperate in Game 6, forward Tyler Seguin said, “For sure. It's a long flight, so definitely.”

And as for playing at the AAC, where the team is 5-1 in the playoffs with a 3.83 goals per game average and a 2.50 GAA, Seguin said he and his teammates can’t wait.

“We love playing in front of our fans, love playing at home and love responding,” Seguin said. “So, we’re excited.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.