The Winnipeg Jets continue a four-game homestand, their last of the season, tonight when they welcome the Dallas Stars to Bell MTS Place…The Jets shutout the Nashville Predators 5-0 on Saturday night for their fifth win in their past six games…Winnipeg continues the homestand Thursday against the New York Islanders.
Playoff Bound
The Jets clinched their spot in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs with their win on Saturday night…It’s the first time in franchise history that the Jets have reached the playoffs in back-to-back seasons…Winnipeg has a four-point lead on the Predators for first place in the Central Division and its magic number to clinch its first divisional title since relocation is nine…If the playoffs started today, the Jets would host the Dallas Stars, who hold the Western Conference’s first wild card spot, in the first round of the playoffs.
At Home
Winnipeg has the fourth-best home record in the NHL this season at 25-9-4…The
Jets have points in 14 of their past 17 home games (12-3-2), which included a
seven-game winning streak from Jan. 6-Feb. 2…The Jets have the best power play
at home in the NHL this season at 31.3%…Winnipeg’s 36 power play goals at
home this season is second in the NHL…The Jets have a 57-15-6 record at Bell
MTS Place during the past two seasons, which is the third best home record in
the NHL…The Jets have scored 144 goals at home this season, which is third in
the NHL, and have outscored their opposition 118-59 in their 25 wins.
Central Foes
The Jets are 12-10-0 against Central Division teams this season…Winnipeg is
3-5 in their past eight games against Central Division teams and all three wins
have come against Nashville (Jan. 17 at NSH 5-1 W, Mar. 1 vs. NSH 5-3 W, and
Mar. 23 vs. NSH 5-0 W)…Since the start of the 2016-17 season, the Jets are 46-27-4
against Central Division teams, which is second in the NHL…In that same time
frame, Blake Wheeler leads all NHLers in scoring against the Central Division
with 97 points (28G, 69A) in 77 games, while Mark Scheifele is second with 89
points (36G, 53A) in 69 games.
Springing Ahead
March and April have historically been successful months for the Jets, as the
team has gone 85-55-15 in those two months since relocation…During the past
three seasons, the Jets are 35-12-2 in March and April, including a perfect
8-0-0 in April…Blake Wheeler is the franchise’s leading scorer in March with 121
points (47G, 74A) in 130 games…Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is 18-7-2 in March
during his career with a 2.5 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.
Three for KC
Kyle Connor opened the scoring and tallied twice in the final 4:38 of Saturday’s
game to record his first career hat trick…The three goals give him 32 goals on
the season, which is a career high…After scoring 31 goals last season, Connor
is the fifth player in franchise history to record multiple 30-goal seasons and
the second player to do so in his first two full seasons, joining Patrik Laine…Connor
has eight points (5G, 3A) in his past four games, which includes three
multi-point games.
Career Night
Kevin Hayes assisted all three of Kyle Connor’s goals on Saturday and scored in
the second period for the first four-point game of his career…He previously had
three points on nine occasions…He nearly doubled his point total with the Jets
on Saturday, as he now has 10 points (4G, 6A) in 13 games since being acquired
from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline.
Another Goose Egg
Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves on Saturday to give him back-to-back shutouts
in games he’s started (Mar. 20 at ANA 3-0 W)…In his past five games, Hellebuyck
is 4-0-0 with a 1.32 goals-against average and .960 save percentage…He has
stopped 143 of 149 shots in the five appearances…Hellebuyck is having his best
month of the season with a .932 save percentage in March…His next start is the
200th of his career and he’ll join Ondrej Pavelec as the only two goaltenders
in franchise history with 200 games started.
Hit Record
Brandon Tanev had seven hits on Saturday to set a franchise record for most
hits in a season with 259, which is third in the NHL this season…He has four
hits or more in a game 34 times this season…Tanev’s previous career high for hits
in a season was 188, which he did last season…Tanev is averaging 3.45 hits per
game this season, which is on pace to be a single-season franchise record.
Jets vs. Stars All-Time Records
Overall: 18-20-2
At Bell MTS Place: 9-5-0
At American Airlines Center: 8-10-1
2018-19 Game Log vs. Stars
| Date | Location | Score | Rec | Scorers | Goaltender |
| Oct. 6 | Dallas | 5-1 L | 0-1-0 (1-1-0) | Connor (2) | Hellebuyck (30 sv, 5 ga) |
| Jan. 4 | Winnipeg | 5-1 W | 1-1-0 (26-13-2) | Lowry (7), Myers (4), Connor (14), Morrissey (5), Little (7) | Hellebuyck (26 sv, 1 ga) |
| Jan. 19 | Dallas | 4-2 L | 1-2-0 (31-15-2) | Lemieux (6), Connor (19) | Hellebuyck (35 sv, 4 ga) |
| Mar. 25 | Winnipeg |
Jets vs. Stars Notes
- The Jets have won nine of their past 11 games against the Stars.
- Winnipeg is 6-for-22 (27.3%) on the power play in their past seven games against Dallas.
- The Jets have given up a power play goal in four consecutive games against the Stars and are 11-for-18 (61.1%) on the penalty kill in those four games.
- The Jets are 16-10-1 against the Stars since the franchise moved to Winnipeg in 2011.
- The Jets have scored at least four goals in nine of their past 11 games against Dallas, outscoring the Stars 47-25 in the 12 games.
- Blake Wheeler leads the Jets in career scoring against the Stars with 34 points (8G, 26A) in 29 career games, while Mark Scheifele has 29 points (13G, 16A) in 23 career games against Dallas.
- Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is 7-3-1 in 10 career starts against the Stars, with a 2.26 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.
Jets-Stars Connections
- Jets defenceman Joe Morrow played nine game in the Stars organization for the Texas Stars during the 2012-13 season before being traded to the Boston Bruins in the trade in which the Stars acquired Tyler Seguin.
- Dallas’ Jamie Benn and Winnipeg’s Tyler Myers were teammates on the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) from 2007 to 2009.
- Stars forward Tyler Seguin played with Nikolaj Ehlers during the 2012-13 lock-out shortened season with the EHC Biel-Bienne hockey club in Switzerland.
- Scheifele played with the Stars forward Brett Ritchie for Canada at the 2011 U-18 World Championship and 2013 World Junior Championship.
- Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine played with Dallas’ Esa Lindell for Finland at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and 2016 World Championship.
- Laine and Sami Niku as well as Stars forward Roope Hintz won a gold medal playing together for Finland at the 2016 World Junior Championship.
Upcoming Milestones
Dustin Byfuglien
- Needs one shorthanded assist to tie Marty Reasoner and Patrik Stefan (7) for the second-most shorthanded assists in franchise history.
Ben Chiarot
- Needs two games played to reach 300 for his career.
Nikolaj Ehlers
- Needs two penalty minutes to reach 100 for his career.
- Needs three points to reach 200 points for his career.
Connor Hellebuyck
- Needs one start to reach 200 games started for his career.
Paul Maurice
- Needs seven wins to reach 700 as an NHL head coach.
Mathieu Perreault
- Needs six points to reach 200 points as a member of the Jets.
Blake Wheeler
- Needs one assist to tie Marc Savard for the most assists in a season in franchise history
- Needs eight goals to reach 200 as a member of the Jets franchise.
- Needs one shorthanded assist to tie Marty Reasoner and Patrik Stefan (7) for the second-most shorthanded assists in franchise history.