The Dallas Stars have now defeated the Jets in three consecutive games this season — twice in Winnipeg, and now for the first time, Thursday night in Dallas. And it was a dominant first period for the Stars that was the difference.
You couldn’t help but think it was almost like an endorsement by players in green in support of their GM, Jim Nill, who 24 hours earlier traded for defenceman Chris Tanev. Not that Tanev played, but you could feel from the outset, an inner confidence in the Stars, who know that management believes in the team from Big D.
It’s no different really, than what we’ve seen from the Jets since the acquisition of Sean Monahan from Montreal. There is a belief in these Jets — from GM to coach to players. But Thursday’s loss to Dallas does force the question: Have they done enough?
Do the Jets need more grit? Do they have enough depth? More grit? Yes. More depth? You can never have enough.
The concerns of this team are really with what they have, not what they need. Can Schiefele and Connor score when the going gets tough, like Thursday night? Is Adam Lowry wearing down after a fantastic season of being the character player, or rather the character of this team? Can Cole Perfetti get out of this funk to return to his role of a young, offensive dynamo, all the while eliminating those egregious mistakes in his own zone?
In looking deeper into Thursday night, this was a game lost in the last three-and-a-half minutes of the first period, when the Stars scored two goals on an aggressive forecheck, and some sloppy Winnipeg play. Other than that, this game was even.
And let’s face it, most of the other mistakes were covered up by Connor Hellebucyk, as usual. It’s these types of games and opponents that should prepare the team for the post-season. And they have one test vs. the Stars on April 11.
Winning in Dallas would have been a real positive for the team. But perhaps, more can be learned by the loss, than by a win — learned by the players for mid-April, and by the GM for next Friday.