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Preview: Winnipeg Jets @ Dallas Stars

Nov 9, 2024; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets center Vladislav Namestnikov (7) scores on Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) in the second period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

The Winnipeg Jets are coming into today’s game on a 2 game losing streak, which just happens to be tied for their longest slump of the season. On the final game of a six contest road trip, our franchise will be in Texas to take on their division rivals, the Dallas Stars, before heading home for a one game home stand.

Neither squad is red-hot at this time, with both teams dropping 2 of their last 3 games….so there is a chance for Winnipeg & Dallas to secure some valuable points in what looks to be a tight Central Division race. Currently, the Jets & Wild sit atop the division with the Stars 8 points back with 2 games in hand and that doesn’t even take into consideration the Avalanche & other teams vying for a post-season berth. Lets check out ESPN’s breakdown of the divisional standings:

Because it is an afternoon game (3:30 pm Central), there won’t be any pre-game skate to give us an indication of who will be donning Jets’ jerseys today. How will the Jets’ coaching staff continue to deal with the loss of Dylan Samberg’s services? Will Ville Heinola & Colin Miller slot back in after being healthy scratches? Will Logan Stanley or Dylan Coghlan make back-to-back appearances on Winnipeg’s 3rd pairing? And of course, with Nikolaj Ehlers being banged up in the last game…will the speedy Dane be able to play through it or will infrequently used David Gustafsson get the call? Who knows…..but we can likely expect Connor Hellebuyck to be back in between the pipes.

The Stars seem to be fairly healthy, though young Logan Stankoven might be dealing with something as he is not in the starting lineup below. Here is how PuckPedia is predicting Winnipeg & Dallas to line up their players this evening:

The Dallas Stars (14-8-0) have been led offensively by Matt Duchene (27 pts), Mason Marchment (23), & Tyler Seguin (20) and are one of the NHL’s better defensive squads (59 GA in 22 gms). The Stars have been very good at the American Airlines Center in 2024-25, posting a 9-2-0 record so far.

The Winnipeg Jets (18-6-0) have Kyle Connor (29 pts), Mark Scheifele (26), Nikolaj Ehlers (25), Josh Morrissey (22), & Neal Pionk (20) at the top of the point production, while the squad has also been good at reducing the number of goals against (60 GA in 24 gms). The Jets have been pretty good on the road this year, picking up 9 wins and 5 losses in 14 contests.

Lets check out how the two franchises compare head-to-head based on this season’s stats and take a peek at ESPN’s review of the masked men:

Other than Winnipeg’s over-inflated powerplay numbers, there is really not a whole lot of statistical differences between the division rivals. The numbers say both teams are very good at scoring goals while simultaneously being staunch defensively.

The hometown Stars in particular will be highly motivated, with memories of the Winnipeg Jets chasing starting goalie Jake Oettinger from the crease in the teams’ first clash. And with plenty of animosity between the frequent competitors, today’s Dallas-Jets game should be a hard-fought, tightly contested affair.

If you would like to browse how the opposing fans are looking at this game, check out the Game Preview from Defending Big D below:

Since Winnipeg has been a little inconsistent with their play lately, it has made things tougher on Arctic Ice Hockey’s game predictors…though I still think SaskatoonJet, Padre, etal are doing a fantastic job. Keep those “visions” coming, as I am certain all the Jets are anxiously awaiting to see if their names will be called for some good fortune in today’s clash.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and GOOOOO Jets!!!

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