DALLAS – So far, the Winnipeg Jets have done exactly what they’ve needed to do on this four-game road trip.
Halfway through it, they’ve earned all four points available to them thanks to wins in Colorado and Chicago. If they want to keep that streak going, they’ll have to do something they haven’t managed to do this season – beat the Dallas Stars.
Every game has been close. In fact, all three have been decided by one goal. The most recent meeting was the closest of all, with the Stars picking up the extra point in the standings thanks to a 4-3 overtime win at American Airlines Center on February 2.
With eight games left on Winnipeg’s schedule, every game and every point takes on an added importance.
“We just said to take care of our own business and that’s what we’re trying to do. We got ourselves here, but we can’t take our foot off the gas,” said head coach Scott Arniel following the win in Chicago on Tuesday. “It doesn’t get any easier in going into Dallas and then Columbus, so a lot of heavy lifting still to go. We have got to make sure that we continue to do those things that keep us in games and that gives us a chance to win.”
At 32-20-12, the Jets are two points back of Los Angeles for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference. Considering they were 11 points back coming out of the Olympic break, it has been a tremendous effort from the group to chip away at the deficit over the past seven weeks.
During that time, Winnipeg is 10-4-4 – tied for the third best record in the West in that span.
“You can see the desperation. Every shift matters, every moment matters in games. Whether you have to go into overtime to do it, a shootout, hopefully win it in regulation, it’s just staying in games,” said Arniel. “Take care of your own business has been our motto, win our games and hopefully somewhere, someway, or somehow somebody will lose and it can springboard us ahead.”
That veteran experience can definitely be an asset at this time of season. It gets harder and harder to score goals or make plays as the regular season dwindles down. Getting to the front of the net – where Winnipeg had success against Colorado – also gets more difficult. Every team’s defending reaches another level.
“You’ve got to perform under pressure. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Jets captain Adam Lowry said. “We don’t have time to just squander points. We can’t have these letdowns where we play one great game, and then come down and take a breath.”
After missing the last two games, Morgan Barron slots back into Winnipeg’s line-up tonight in Dallas.
“Sitting at home, I felt pretty good pretty much the whole time. Just kind of going through the protocol and I got to watch the guys win two games, so it’s been good,” he said after the morning skate. “
I always try to look at it half full. I missed two games and the guys went and got four points. This isn’t liked I’ve been sitting on the sidelines for a few weeks. I feel great on the ice. I feel I can pick up right where I left off.”
The full Jets line rushes looked like this:
