Scheifele scores in his return to the lineup but Jets fall 3-2
WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets lost their first home game of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs thanks to a 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the Second Round at Canada Life Centre. Nino Niederreiter and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets who will host Game 2 on Friday. Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves and lost his first regulation home game since January 4 (4-2 loss to Detroit).
RANTANEN ATTACK
The Jets faced Mikko Rantanen a combined seven times in the regular season (4 GP with COL, 1 with CAR and 2 with DAL) and held the Finnish star to two points (1G, 1A). Adam Lowry’s line was matched up with the Stars top line of Rantanen, Roope Hintz and Mikael Granlund and shut them down through 30 minutes until Rantanen went to work. Rantanen scored three goals in a span of 7:55, making him the first player in nearly 40 years to record a hat trick in consecutive playoff games and third in NHL history (Jari Kurri 1985, Doug Bentley 1944).
55 SCORES IN HIS RETURN
Mark Scheifele missed the last two games of the series with the St. Louis Blues but made his return to the lineup Wednesday night. Despite the fact that Scheifele missed the last 10 periods, he was tied for second on the team in scoring with six points. With the Jets down 3-1, Scheifele took a pass from Gabe Vilardi and wristed home his third goal of the playoffs to make it 3-2. Scheifele had numerous chances in the third period to tie the game but could not beat Jake Oettinger. The Jets number one centre played 22:36, had seven shots on goal and won 64% of his faceoffs.
DAL@WPG: Scheifele scores goal against Jake Oettinger
POWER PLAY OUT OF SYNC
The Jets power play was back on track in the final two games of the last series against the St. Louis Blues. Wednesday night, the Jets had Mark Scheifele, Gabe Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers together on the ice for the first time in almost two months. Winnipeg went 0-for-4 with the man advantage and had seven shots on goal during those four power plays.
“Yeah, for sure. I thought we still had some good chances,” said Scheifele.
“We still have some good looks, obviously, some things that we can do better, execution level wise. We had a pretty good power play all year. And we just got to put one in the net.”
