The Winnipeg Jets will live to skate another day.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice, Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist and Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves to help the Jets avoid elimination with a 4-0 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of their second-round series Thursday.
The Stars lead the best-of-seven playoff matchup 3-2 and Game 6 goes Saturday in Dallas.
Vladislav Namestnikov also scored. Kyle Connor and Neal Pionk both contributed two assists in front of a roaring whiteout crowd at Canada Life Centre.
Jake Oettinger stopped 31 shots for the Stars.
The Jets are 6-1 at home this post-season, but face a big test for the away game in the Western Conference battle.
Winnipeg has lost all five road games, including in its first-round series against the St. Louis Blues that the Jets won in a Game 7 double overtime at home.
The Jets and Stars started the night with each team getting a power play in the game’s opening eight minutes. Oettinger whipped out his glove to thwart a Connor one-timer, and Hellebuyck turned aside a Roope Hintz shot.
Dallas came up empty on its second man advantage with six minutes remaining.
The Jets were the stronger side in the opening period, outshooting the visitors 13-4.
Hellebuyck was well-oiled early in the second frame, whipping out his glove to make a close-in save on Stars defenceman Thomas Harley.
The goaltender also had a hand in Scheifele’s fourth goal of the playoffs at 6:17.
After Hellebuyck made a poke check to start the four-on-four play, Scheifele was the trailer and shot the puck that first hit Stars forward Wyatt Johnson and then went into the net off Harley’s skate.
Winnipeg almost made it 2-0 on the power play with 53 seconds remaining, but it was ruled the puck was gloved into the net.
Jets fans started chanting, “should have kicked it,” referring to a controversial game-winning goal by Dallas forward Alexander Petrovic in the Stars’ Game 3 win. A review had ruled Petrovic’s kick of the puck toward the net was actually propelled in by Hellebuyck’s stick-save attempt.
Winnipeg outshot Dallas 11-5 in the middle frame.
The Jets went ahead 2-0 just 31 seconds into a five-on-three early in the third period after Ehlers swept the puck around Oettinger at 2:20.
Dallas defenceman Lian Bichsel then took a roughing penalty with 9:43 after some blows were exchanged behind the Stars’ net.
Namestnikov capitalized with 10 seconds remaining in the man advantage when his high shot beat Oettinger with 7:53 left.
Tempers erupted with 6:32 remaining in the third period after Stars forward Jamie Benn punched Scheifele in front of the Dallas bench.
Scheifele was being held back by linesman Ryan Daisy before the punch, and the two fell to the ice. After penalties were assessed to both players and Jets forward Brandon Tanev, Dallas had a power play.
Ehlers sent the puck into an empty net with 45 seconds left.
Beating the odds
The Jets defied some all-time NHL stats with the victory.
According to the league, teams down 3-1 in a playoff series only have a 44.7 per cent chance of winning Game 5.
It was the second time the Jets were facing elimination in this season’s Stanley Cup playoffs, and the 10th time in franchise history. Their mark is now 3-7.
