The Winnipeg Jets are down 2-1 in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Semifinals series against the Dallas Stars. Game four emphasizes the need for a complete 60-minute effort, which the Jets have shown multiple times this season.
If they lose game four and head back to Winnipeg down 3-1 in the series, they will be playing with their backs against the wall, a position for the 2025 Presidents’ Trophy winners that isn’t a familiar one.
You could argue that game seven against the St. Louis Blues was a position where the Jets had their backs against the wall, and maybe it’s not a bad thing. However, the road woes throughout the past eight games for Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets are step one they need to overcome if they want to bring an even series back to Winnipeg.
All in all, game four demands three core things: leadership, discipline, and structure if the Jets want to tie the series up.
How does that break down? Let’s dive in together.
Find Game Two’s Strong Structure
Games one and three were the complete opposite of game two, and that is obvious. The Dallas Stars have gotten the Winnipeg Jets out of their structure and rattled them in the process.
If we’re being honest, the Jets need to bounce back and do it quickly in game four, otherwise this series could be done earlier than most expected.
Not only did Connor Hellebuyck post a 21-save shutout in game two, but the team played a great game in front of him with the odd blip here and there. This is the first of a few things that have to be right in game four.
The Jets cannot ride Hellebuyck throughout the entire playoffs; that’s been a clear thing right from the get-go. They need to protect the guts of the ice in front of Hellebuyck.
Surprise, surprise, the old storyline from round one carries over. The Jets have been rather poor in their efforts to protect the slot and right in tight by the net throughout the entirety of the Stanley Cup Playoffs run.
The best example of this is Thomas Harley’s goal in game three, where he’s given too much time and space to wind up in the slot and score.
If they advance and face Edmonton or Vegas, those are two teams that will expose that flaw in the Jets’ game. If the Jets look at their current state, being down 2-1 with the impending return of Miro Heiskanen is not a great situation to be in, but they can still make the most of it.
Play a More Disciplined Game
Game three didn’t start great with Nino Niederreiter taking a high-sticking penalty, then Josh Morrissey taking a tripping penalty that led to Dallas’ first goal. Some top players and secondary scorers taking penalties early on is not great, but the Jets’ top group must lead by example and play more disciplined, regardless of what they face.
It’s short and sweet, but at the heart of it all, the Winnipeg Jets’ top players didn’t provide the effort that they showed in the regular season in games one or three.
Top Power Play Unit Must Find Its Spark
This is what could be the final nail in the coffin for the Winnipeg Jets’ hopes of advancing to the Western Conference Finals. The Jets’ power play has been abysmal against the Dallas Stars, with a 17.1% effectiveness throughout the series.
On the other end of the ice, Dallas is rolling with a 30% power play that bites the Jets when it matters most.
Why can’t a team that had the season’s best power play carry over that same success into the postseason? The Jets are 1/13 on the power play against Dallas, while the Stars are 2/7 on the power play.
Do these narratives change in game four? Do the Winnipeg Jets’ road woes continue tomorrow night against the Dallas Stars?
Game four in Dallas is set for 7:00 pm CST on Tuesday, May 13th.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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