Jets, Stars race for Central Division title on TSN
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The Winnipeg Jets hold an eight-point lead over the Dallas Stars for top spot in the Central Division and the Western Conference.
The two teams will clash Friday night in Winnipeg in one of the two remaining head-to-head matchups this season. With two games in hand, the Stars (42-20-2) could put pressure on the Jets (45-17-4) and set off a wild finish with a win tonight in Winnipeg.
Viewers in the Jets region can watch the Stars vs. Jets LIVE tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT on TSN3, the TSN App, and TSN.ca.
“We understand the magnitude of it,” Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo said. “Both teams playing real well and having really good years. And with the additions both teams made, it’s going to be a great test for both teams.”
The Stars are playing some of their best hockey of the season and have slowly closed the gap in the division, having gone 8-2-0 over their past 10 games. Dallas is 1-1-0 since acquiring Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline. The Jets traded for defenceman Luke Schenn and winger Brandon Tanev and have also split a pair of games since the Mar. 7 deadline.
The team haven’t met since a 3-1 Stars victory on Dec. 1, but DeMelo expects the new-look teams to get right into it in what is expected to be a playoff-like atmosphere in the Canada Life Centre.
“It’s going to be high intensity, physicality – a little bit of everything,” DeMelo said.
“Hopefully we’re sharp and ready,” captain Adam Lowry said. “Because mistakes against a team like Dallas, where they don’t give up a whole lot but they’re also very dangerous off the rush, very dangerous in-zone – the difference in the game could be one or two mistakes.
“Both teams have a premier defenceman, them with (Miro) Heiskanan, us with J-Mo (Josh Morrissey). Both teams have filled the net this year, offensively, but been real stingy defensively. Even with how well we’ve played this year, that’s why the division is still such a tight race.”
As of Friday morning, the Jets are projected to take on the Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs, while the Stars would battle the Colorado Avalanche as the No. 2 and 3 seeds in the Division. Winger Gabe Vilardi emphasized how important the matchup is with implications for the division title and a home-ice advantage in a possible second-round playoff showdown.
“If we can win, [we] get a bigger stranglehold on them, you could say,” Vilardi said. “Especially with how tough it is to go and win in their barn. Yeah, it’s a big game.”
Vilardi had more to add regarding the NHL’s playoff format, lamenting the forced divisional matchups instead of the traditional 1 vs. 8 seeding.
“It’s just ridiculous that if we finish first or second, maybe in the NHL, we have to play Colorado or Dallas,” Vilardi said on Wednesday. “You can’t make rivalries. They just happen naturally. That’s my opinion. Maybe we should have a talk about it in the summer."
The Jets will be without defenceman Neal Pionk who is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, head coach Scott Arniel announced Friday. Pionk, 29, has nine goals and 37 points in 66 games this season while averaging 22:09 of ice time.
Forward Nikolaj Ehlers will play Friday against the Stars after missing the team's practices on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Connor Hellebuyck is expected to start in goal as he pursues his NHL-best 39th win this season.