The Stars pinch out the Jets

Oettinger stops 26, then sets up the winner

The same door, again

Last season the Dallas Stars ended the Winnipeg Jets' Gauntlet in the round of 16, 3-2. This time the two clubs met a round deeper, in a quarterfinal at American Airlines Center in Dallas, and only one of their candles could keep burning. Both had already done some damage. The Jets snuffed the Blues on qualification night and the Avalanche in the round of 16. The Stars doused the Utah Hockey Club, then the Wild. Last season Dallas finished 2nd of 32 and Winnipeg 4th.

A long silence

Adam Lowry struck first, tipping one in at 03:16 of the first, with Haydn Fleury and Neal Pionk assisting. Wyatt Johnston answered at 17:06 with a snap shot, set up by Thomas Harley and Jason Robertson. Then the scoreboard froze for 35:17. Logan Stanley went to the box three times, for slashing, cross checking and hooking, and Connor Hellebuyck kept the Jets level. He finished with 28 saves on 30 shots.

The goalie's pass

At 12:23 of the third, Mason Marchment broke the tie with a backhand. Harley picked up his second assist of the night, and the other one went to Jake Oettinger, the goalie who had stopped 26 of the 27 shots Winnipeg threw at him. Roope Hintz tipped in an empty-netter at 19:52, from Esa Lindell, and the Jets' flame went cold. Six candles still burn, and Dallas holds one of them.