WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Dallas Stars will need another game at least to clinch their spot in the Western Conference finals.
With a chance to end the series at Canada Life Centre in Game 5, the Stars offense went cold again, as the Jets secured a 4-0 win to force Game 6 in Dallas Saturday.
It marked the second straight road game Winnipeg shut out the Stars.
The Stars still hold a 3-2 lead in the series with the opportunity to end it on home ice.
Here are five thoughts from their Game 5 loss:
Stars go cold at Canada Life Centre
The Stars have been shut out in seven consecutive periods at Canada Life Centre.
The Jets are one of the best home teams in the league, and their whiteout crowds provide a big boost. In the playoffs, they’ve been a different team at home compared to on the road, and the same was true Thursday.
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck had something to do with it, making a few timely saves, but the Stars didn’t generate enough offense.
Dallas had just four shots on goal in the first period and five in the second. They finished with 22 total on Hellebuyck.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer said Thursday morning he wasn’t worried about a lack of goal scoring, knowing it’s hard to come by in the playoffs, especially against great goalies like Hellebuyck. But the Stars need to make it tougher on their opposing goalies.
Jake Oettinger puts up another magnificent performance
Mikko Rantanen may be the front-runner to win the Conn Smythe for the Stars, but Jake Oettinger is making quite the case.
The Stars goaltender single-handedly kept his team in the game Thursday night, making stunning save after stunning save. He stopped 31 total shots, including double-digit shot totals in each period. The only goal he allowed through 40 minutes of play was an own goal scored by Thomas Harley.
In the third period, he only gave up power-play goals — a 5-on-3 goal while Winnipeg had 1:47 on the two-man advantage and a 5-on-4 power-play goal later in the period.
Oettinger didn’t get enough help from his team, but he’s been the most consistent player for Dallas this round and has given them a chance to win each night.
Related:Jets’ home-ice surge puts pressure on Stars to close out series in Saturday’s Game 6
Bad bounces continue to plague Stars
Despite being outplayed through two periods, the only goal scored before the second intermission was a pass that bounced off Harley and into the net. Mark Scheifele made the pass and was credited with the goal.
It’s the second own goal the Stars have scored in a series-clinching road game this playoff run. Against Colorado in Game 6, an own goal that deflected off Colin Blackwell was the decider. That game, the Stars gave up another goal that bounced off Ilya Lyubushkin’s skate.
They also gave up one that went off Esa Lindell’s skate during Game 2 against Winnipeg.
That’s four goals this postseason that have been scored off bad bounces off Stars players.
In a long playoff run, most teams hope the puck luck balances out, but it hasn’t often been on Dallas’ side through 12 playoff games.
Special teams delivers final blow
The Stars still trailed by just one goal entering the third period despite a 22-9 Jets shot advantage, but consecutive Dallas tripping penalties secured the game for the Jets.
Alexander Petrovic was called for tripping, and just over 10 seconds into the Jets’ power play, Esa Lindell was, too. The Jets had a lengthy 5-on-3, which allowed Nikolaj Ehlers to score an insurance goal.
The Jets had scored only one power play goal in the series before Thursday, but added another later in the third period by Vladislav Namestnikov. They finished 2-for-5 on the power play.
The Stars’ power play had been hot, scoring two goals last game, but went 0-for-4 Thursday.
Series gets chippy
Through the first four games, the series saw limited extracurriculars, but that took a turn, especially in the third period.
There were 15 total penalties in Thursday’s game, including nine by the Stars.
Late in the third period, Brandon Tanev and Jamie Benn were each assessed a 10-minute misconduct and roughing penalty for a scrum near the bench that ended up with Benn punching Scheifele in the face and the referee being dragged to the ice with him.
There were four roughing penalties in the game.
The Stars know, especially on the road, they need to limit the penalties, and neither team will return for Game 6 in a very friendly manner.
Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
