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 The Stars scored twice with the man advantage to hand the
Winnipeg Jets a 2-1 defeat Monday at American Airlines Center.
Dallas went 2-for-4 with on the power play, receiving goals from
left winger Ray Whitney in the first period and from center Tyler
Seguin late in the second. The Stars were 1-for-15 on the power play
over their previous five games.
"Over the last 25 games, we're 19 percent," Stars head coach Lindy
Ruff said of his power play. "We're generating quality
opportunities."
Heading into Monday, Winnipeg had the NHL's top-rated road penalty
kill, killing off 88.2 percent of opposing power plays.
Winnipeg scored its lone goal, also on a power play, with 2:44
remaining in regulation when center Bryan Little knocked in a
rebound.
"I thought in the third we kind of sat back a little bit and played
prevent D," Whitney said. "When the situation tightens these last 11
games, you're going to see more of that."
Dallas (34-26-11) earned its second win in a row. With the Phoenix
Coyotes losing 4-3 in overtime at the New York Rangers, the Stars
are now one point behind the Coyotes for the final wild-card playoff
spot in the Western Conference.
Center Jamie Benn, the team captain, assisted on both Dallas goals.
Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen stopped 32 shots.
Whitney gave Dallas its first lead when he scored 5:32 into the game
with a slap shot that beat Jets goalie Al Montoya. Just seven
seconds earlier, Whitney whistled a wrister off the right post.
However, after a cross-ice pass from Benn, Whitney converted,
sending the pick off Montoya's left shoulder and into the far side
of the net.
Winnipeg, which lost its second in a row, had too many men on the
ice 4:17 into the game to put Dallas on the power play.
"Yeah, we've had three (too-many-men penalties)," Jets coach Paul
Maurice said. "I won't do the details and just say that's on me.
Everything that happens on that bench is my responsibility, so just
leave it at that. It's on me."
Seguin doubled the Stars' lead at 16:09 of the second period when he
flicked in a rebound for his 32nd of the season. Four seconds
earlier, Seguin's wrister from the left circle careened off the far
post. After Montoya denied Stars rookie right wing Alex Chiasson's
backhand at close range, Seguin alertly flipped the rebound into the
top of the net to give Dallas breathing room.
Winnipeg put Dallas on the power play at 15:56 of the second after
winger Dustin Byfuglien hooked Stars center Cody Eakin.
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The Jets nearly pulled back within a goal during their first power
play of the game later in the second. Left winger Evander Kane saw
his wrister from the high slot ring off the crossbar with 1:37
remaining before the second intermission.
Winnipeg (32-32-9) went on the power play after Stars rookie center
Colton Sceviour was called for tripping at 17:07 of the second.
With 4:29 remaining in regulation, Winnipeg right wing Blake Wheeler
went hard into the boards in front of the Dallas bench. Wheeler was
nudged into the boards by Sceviour, and he struck the gate, which
was open on the end of the Stars bench. He had to be helped back to
the locker room but later returned to the bench.
Montoya, who left the ice with 3:05 remaining but returned after the
Little goal, stopped 25 of 27 shots for the Jets, who were starting
a five-game road trip. Montoya departed a second time with 1:39
remaining and returned briefly with 10.9 seconds left before again
leaving the ice.
Winnipeg returns to the ice Thursday to play the Sharks in San Jose.
Dallas plays the Blackhawks in Chicago on Tuesday.
NOTES: Jets D Zach Bogosian (upper body), RW Matt Halischuk, LW Carl
Klingberg, LW Andrew Ladd, G Ondrej Pavelec (lower body), C Mark
Scheifele (MCL sprain) and RW Chris Thorburn (broken foot) were
scratched. Ladd's absence was because his wife gave birth to a
daughter Sunday night. ... Stars LW Erik Cole (upper body), D Kevin
Connauton and C Rich Peverley (irregular heartbeat) were scratched.
... Jets D Adam Pardy played 36 games for Dallas in the 2011-12
season. ... Stars G Kari Lehtonen started his third straight game.
... Jets G Al Montoya started his sixth consecutive game. ... The
goal by Stars LW Ray Whitney in the first period was his first in 13
games. ... Klingberg and Jets C Patrice Cormier were recalled from
AHL St. John's on Monday morning. ... The announced attendance was
15,967.
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