The Winnipeg Jets (13-1-0) didn’t play their best game in their last outing, but thanks to a super performance by Connor Hellebuyck the franchise continued their winning ways. The True North club is now tied for the best start to an NHL season in league history and will look to take sole possession of the record today when they square off against the Dallas Stars (8-4-0) this afternoon at 1:30 pm CST in the Peg.
To date, Winnipeg has been putting up absurd offensive numbers and that has helped the squad to 10 different skaters having at least 10 points in the opening 14 contests. The leaders for the Jets are Kyle Connor (19 pts), Mark Scheifele (18), Nikolaj Ehlers (17), and Josh Morrissey (16).
With a team goal differential of +33, it is not surprising that Winnipeg has a bunch of players in the top 10 in plus/minus: Adam Lowry (+13), Ehlers (+11), Nino Niederreiter (+11), & Vladislav Namestnikov (+10). Another thing the Jets have been good at this season is staying out of the penalty box, as they currently have the 3rd lowest powerplay opportunities against in 2024-25.
Even though coach Scott Arniel mixed up the forward lines in the middle of the last game, I expect Winnipeg to roll out their standard lineup for today’s match versus the Stars (via PuckPedia).
The Dallas Stars are 3-2-0 over their past 5 games, with their only losses coming to the Florida Panthers during a 2 game set played in Finland. The Central Division franchise is currently sitting with the NHL’s 9th best team goal differential, but the Stars haven’t been great on the road so far (2-3-0).
Dallas hasn’t hit their stride offensively yet in 2024-25, as their 38 goals in 12 matches puts them with the 11th lowest amount of goals this season. The Stars’ best producers so far include Matt Duchene (15 pts), Logan Stankoven (12), & Tyler Sequin (10), but some of the club’s better players have started off slower than expected: Roope Hintz (8 pts), Jason Robertson (7), & Thomas Harley (6).
Here is how PuckPedia predicts the Dallas Stars will line up when the action gets underway:
Now that we’ve seen what the rosters will likely look like for today’s contest, lets dive into how the two franchises compare head-to-head this season and then we can get impressed by ESPN’s goalies data below.
Based on the stats, this game should be a fairly low scoring affair based on Dallas & Winnipeg’s ability to defend their own ends. This stinginess is largely due to two of the best goaltenders in the NHL in Connor Hellebuyck & Jake Oettinger, but even the back up tenders have performed well this year. The two American goalies will likely be the key players in net for the US at the upcoming Four Nations Challenge, so I am sure they will be looking to out-perform each other today to impress the American coaching staff. That being said, it is too early to know who will start today, so us fans may get to see either of the back ups.
If you would like a Stars perspective of the game, check out the Preview from Defending Big D:
The Dallas Stars are a formidable team and always seem to play our Winnipeg Jets well, so today’s afternoon clash is far from a foregone conclusion. How do you all see it playing out? With the Prophesizing Padre on the sideline, will one or more Arctic Ice Hockey members step into the void to show off their clairvoyance abilities??
Please remember that the start time has been bumped forward a half hour to avoid any overlap with the CFL playoff game between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers & the Saskatchewan Roughriders….so be ready for a 1:30 pm CST start.
Go Winnipeg!!
