David Rittich will get the nod for Winnipeg as the Jets host the visiting Ottawa Senators on Tuesday evening.

This wasn't the expectation heading into the week.

Winnipeg's bell-cow Connor Hellebuyck surprisingly did not show face at the Jets' morning skate on Tuesday. The team announced the emergency recall of Manitoba Moose goaltender Arvid Holm from the American League.

Holm, 24, will serve as David Rittich's backup, as Winnipeg's regular backup will play the second time in as many games for the Jets. He lost 3-2 to the Kraken in Seattle on Sunday and will look to regain his form in the crease at home on Tuesday.

Head coach Rick Bowness said that Hellebuyck is down for the count with a non-COVID related illness, but his hope is that he will be back in time for the team's two-game road trip to close out the pre-Christmas schedule.

On defence, youngster Ville Heinola will get a shot to impress Bowness as he draws back into the lineup for the first time since November 23, a night which he went -2 in 13 minutes of action. Heinola will replace Kyle Capobianco in the lineup - a veteran defender who scored for the Jets in Vancouver in Saturday's lopsided victory.

Heinola is expected to be paired with former Moose defence partner Dylan Samberg, who has served as a regular in the Jets' lineup since Logan Stanley's ongoing lower-body injury issues.

Puck drop between the Jets and the visiting Senators is set for 7:00 PM central time from Canada Life Centre. The game can be viewed on TSN.

Hellebuyck Out, Rittich to Start vs. Senators, Heinola Draws In

<h2>Welcome home, johnny!</h2>The first words out of Jonathan Toews’ mouth when he was introduced to the media in Winnipeg was “Hi mom.”&nbsp;His mom, Andrée was sitting in the front row of this week’s news conference, and it wasn’t a surprise to anyone that she would be the first person to lock eyes with the best hockey player produced in Manitoba in a generation.“Today, all the memories flooded back from my childhood,” Toews said, as he looked at his mother. “All the reasons why and when I first fell in love with the game of hockey.“I always wanted to make my family and friends and the people I’ve grown up with proud and try and put on a show when I come back here, and I think it will be even more that way now.”A few weeks ago, Toews signed a one-year, incentive-laden contract and officially became a member of the Winnipeg Jets. On Friday, Toews was re-introduced to the city of his birth, and the 37-year-old former Stanley Cup champion and Olympic gold medallist, could not have been happier.&nbsp;“It really got to a point where I couldn't see myself wearing any other jersey,” Toews said. “To me it wasn't rational at all. It was more of an intuitive thing where it just felt right. You can go over the millions of reasons why, but I just knew in my heart that this is what I wanted to do. It felt good every step of the way. I'm really excited to be a part of it.”Toews is excited and the city of Winnipeg is excited, but there was also a large dose of reality that had to be injected into Friday’s party at the Canada Life Centre.On the one hand, Toews is one of the greatest players of the last two decades. He won three Stanley Cups with Chicago (2010, 2013, 2015), two Olympic gold medals (2010, 2014), a World Cup of Hockey gold medal (2016), two World Junior titles (2006, 2007) and a gold medal at the 2007 IIHF men’s World Championship. He won the 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy, he won the Best Forward Award at the 2010 Olympics, and the 2013 Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.On the other hand, he has not played hockey for two full years. Chronic Immune Response Syndrome kept Toews on the sidelines for the entire 2020-21 season. After playing 71 games in 2021-22, he played just 53 games in 2022-23 -- out of the lineup from Feb. 21 through the end of March while dealing with the effects of long COVID-19. He returned on April 1, 2023 and played Chicago's final seven games, but his last game of professional hockey came on April 13, 2023. Right after that Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said the team would not re-sign Toews for the 2023-24 campaign.When he asked if he was concerned that Toews might not have what it takes to play at a high level in the best hockey league in the world, Jets head coach Scott Arniel was diplomatic, but said that of course he had concerns.“Yeah, I’m a little concerned,” Arniel said. “But it’s all about him. He’s the one he has done the work and is excited to come back and come here to Winnipeg. He doesn’t know how it’s going to go and we don’t know how it’s going to go, but at the end of the day, he is one of the smartest guys in the game. In that room, we have about 10 guys who consider Jonathan their idol. We’re still growing as a team in the playoffs and he’s excelled in that area and anything we can learn, anything the leadership group can learn, anything I can learn, about how he handles himself and prepares for games, that’s the stuff we’re all going to watch and listen to and that’s the stuff we’re excited about.”What Toews has done to get his body ready to return is commendable. This is not a lark or shot in the dark. He truly believes that he’s ready to have a solid season despite everything that’s happened.“I’d gotten to a point where I pretty much needed to let myself get off a timeline to return,” he admitted. “So, in my mind, I’d kind of accepted in a way that I might not play again. I think that was a challenging thing to do, but also a healthy thing to do. I’d wake up every day and not think about where all this could be going.”“But then, just through the course of working out, I decided that I wanted to keep myself in shape and with or without hockey I had this desire to take care of my body. That’s when I seemed to start getting stronger and stronger with each passing month and toward the end of 2024 and the start of 2025, things had improved to the point where I began to form ideas about what might lay ahead for hockey.”Toews talked openly about the fact that he had travelled to India and underwent an Ayurvedic detox Panchakarma, a traditional Indian therapy that uses massage, herbs and diet to cleanse the body.“That’s not something I would normally consider,” he said. “A guy I was working with had suggested it and for the longest time I wouldn’t even consider doing it. But I was in Europe to handle some commitments, and I had a free month and decided that after almost five years of searching for a way to heal the inflammatory and immune system issues that took me out of hockey, I would give it a try. At this point, I thought why not?”"I ended up going out there, and I was really happy that I did. As soon as I started following that diet and some of the different herbs and tinctures and just supplements that complement the diet, things started changing really fast. I knew right away that there was something to it. I’d say these past five or six months, things have really trended in the right direction, since I started skating in February and March.“There were moments when I thought OK, I still have the hands; the hands are there, the feet will catch up and things have slowly gotten better since then.”The real test of course will occur when training camp begins in September. Until that time, one of the greatest players in the game’s history, a future Hall of Famer, will wear No 19 for the Winnipeg Jets.“I watched a lot of hockey in the playoffs this year and there’s a lot of guys at my age that are still contributing in any way that they can, so that’s the outlook I’m coming into this with, too. I’ll do my best to bring that forward and help the team any way that I can.”

Jonathan Toews: Back in the '204'

<h2>Jets Sign Jonathan Toews to one-year contract</h2>The Winnipeg Jets have made their first splash of the offseason.On Friday, the team announced the signing of Winnipeg-born and raised centreman Jonathan Toews. “I’m grateful to be making my return to the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets,” the newest Jets forward shared on Friday. “It’s very special to come home and play in front of my family and friends in Manitoba. The Jets have been on the rise over the last few seasons and I’m eager to join the group and help however I can.”The news comes in advance of July 1 - the official opening of the free agent signing period - meaning the contract is still unofficial and off the books, but the team and its social media crew have already been sharing details from the signing.It will be a one-year term featuring a $2 million base salary and cap hit.Toews, however, will have the opportunity to increase his rate of pay, based on his rate of play. That $2 million could quickly become more if he stays healthy, and more importantly leads the Jets on a deep playoff run.Having missed the past two seasons of hockey as he dealt with issues stemming from long-COVID, Toews has documented his return to action through various strength and conditioning exercises and regimens over the past number of months, ultimately resulting in his decision to be 100 percent NHL-ready for 2025-26.He will bring 1,067 games on NHL experience to the Jets' lineup - one that will be missing captain Adam Lowry for the first chunk of the season, as he recovers from offseason hip surgery - and is expected to play a bottom-six role as a veteran, Cup-winning forward chock-full of invaluable experience. Toews will earn an addition $550K at the 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 games-played thresholds this season. He will get another $250K per playoff round participated in, and ultimately an extra $1 million if Winnipeg wins the Stanley Cup at season's end. The contract will officially be signed on July 1 and will run through June 30, 2026.

Jets Bring in Toews on One-Year Contract

<h2>All Hart</h2>Simply the best. There is no other way to put it. Connor Hellebuyck was the best player in the NHL during the 2024-25 season.He was recognized - and rightly so - for his incredible achievement on Thursday evening. Not only did the 32-year-old Winnipeg Jets backstop take home the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender, he was also named as the Hart Trophy winner as league MVP.Hellebuyck became just the ninth goaltender to accomplish the feat. He is also the fifth to be named both the Vezina and Hart Trophy winner in the same season and the first to take home the Vezina, Hart, Jennings and Presidents' Trophies in the same year. The league's top backstop posted a 2.00 goals against average, a .925 save percentage, eight shutouts and 47 wins - three of the individual statistical categories were tops across the league. Despite his postseason struggles on the road in both St. Louis and Dallas this spring, Hellebuyck's regular season dominance was what mattered for these awards as voting closed following the final game of the season. As Hellebuyck faltered in the playoffs, so did the Jets, which is exactly what should happen when the league's MVP struggles, should it not?Hellebuyck was surprised with the two trophies by his family and members of the NHL's Hockey Hall of Fame out in the backyard of his Michigan home this past week. The clip aired on Thursday evening at the special NHL Award Night prior to puck drop of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Simply the Best: Connor Hellebuyck Named Winner of Hart and Vezina Trophies

<h2>A Hard ENDING TO A WONDERFUL SEASON</h2>From everyone at Game On Magazine, our deepest sympathies to Mark Scheifele and the entire Scheifele family on the passing of Mark's father, Brad.&nbsp;There really are no appropriate words.&nbsp;Mark Scheifele loses his father the night before the biggest game of the season, decides he’ll play in that game, scores his team’s only goal and then has to sit in the penalty box as the Dallas Stars score the winning goal in overtime.&nbsp;What can anyone say?&nbsp;The Stars beat the Jets 2-1 in Game 6 of the Divisional Final and with that victory, Dallas won the series 4-2. The Stars advance, the Jets clean out their lockers, the local fans just shake their heads and Scheifele goes home to grieve the loss of the most important man in his life.&nbsp;The whole scenario was just horrible.&nbsp;After a remarkable season, the best in Jets history, the team bowed out of the Stanley Cup playoffs six games into the second round. The statistics, for the most part, will clearly show that the Jets were the better overall team, but as we all know, stats are for losers.&nbsp;The Jets lost Game 1 of the series at home, 3-2, in a game they dominated, and they never recovered. In six road games in the playoffs, the Jets won none. Zero. Donut. If you can’t win on the road, you can’t win the Stanley Cup tournament, and the Jets could not and did not win on the road.&nbsp;It's a hard way to go down. Scheifele and the team got the horrible news of the passing of Brad Scheifele, then Josh Morrissey is injured and once again, Winnipeg has to try and survive a playoff game with five D-men. They almost made it, too. They were just 12 seconds from killing off Scheifele’s penalty – a penalty he had to take and the only penalty of the game – but Dallas capitalized and like a piano falling out a window and hitting the pavement, the thud was deafening. It was over and it should not have been.&nbsp;The best team in the National Hockey League this past season, will now watch the Stanley Cup playoffs from the comfort of their living rooms. Once again, a very good, a very promising Jets team, was eliminated long before the final game of the tournament. Once again, hope turned to heartache. It’s sad and it hurts, but it doesn’t hurt anybody more than it hurts Mark Scheifele.&nbsp;There are no truly appropriate words.&nbsp;

Scheifele Loses His Father, Jets Lose 2-1 in OT to Dallas in Game 6

<h2>JETS WIN ANOTHER 4-0 GAME AT HOME TO EXTEND THE DIVISIONAL FINAL</h2>For the second time in this hard-to-analyze Divisional Final, the Winnipeg Jets played an almost perfect hockey game.&nbsp;Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves to record his second shutout of the series, Nikolaj Ehlers had two goals and Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist as the Jets whipped the visiting Dallas Stars 4-0.&nbsp;With the win, in front of another loud, proud white-clad crowd of the faithful at Canada Life Centre, the Jets stayed alive, cutting the Stars’ series lead to 3-2 with Game 6 in Dallas on Saturday night.&nbsp;The Jets have played five road games so far in the playoffs and in only one of them, have they been close in the third period. At home they are 6-1. In this series, they have two 4-0 wins to go with that that hard-to-figure-out 3-2 loss in Game 1.&nbsp;So as its stands, the Jets backs are still against the wall, but if they do lose in Dallas and their season ends on Saturday night, they will have left Jets fans with a perfect hockey game. Tonight’s effort was as good as it gets and it was also perfectly executed Winnipeg Jets hockey – check like mad, force chances, score at least four, play shut down defence and make sure Helly sees the puck.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/scheifele-celly.jpg">The Jets completely dominated the first period and despite one power play to Dallas’s two, outshot the Stars 11-4. They completed controlled all three zones and got great scoring chances from Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry and yet they went to the intermission in a 0-0 tie.&nbsp;Then came the fluke. In a four-on-four situation, Mark Scheifele was just trying to centre the puck when it hit the skate of Dallas’ Steve Harley and slid into an empty net. Kyle Connor and Neal Pionk drew assists on what was, essentially, an own-goal.&nbsp;Later in the period it appeared that Jets had made it 2-0 but the officials called, ‘No goal.’ Evidently Scheifele didn’t kick it in and unless you kick it in, it’s not a goal.&nbsp;In fact, the Canada Life Centre crowd even got into it with a long, clear chant of: “Should Have Kicked It!! Should Have Kicked It!!”&nbsp;The Jets outshot Dallas 11-5 in the second period, 22-9 after two periods, and had not been rewarded for their efforts.&nbsp;The Jets made it 2-0 at 2:20 of the third period when Nikolaj Ehlers jammed one between Oettinger’s legs. However, it came on a two-man advantage and even the loud, proud fans inside Canada Life Centre knew the officials would even that up at some point. The Jets were hardly out of the woods.&nbsp;And it didn’t take long. At 6:05, Mason Appleton picked up a hooking penalty and the Stars came out with … nothing. In fact, the Jets had numbers on two rushes during the power play. Dallas got three shots on goal but none of them were dangerous. It was a huge kill with less than 12 minutes to play.&nbsp;At the 12:07 mark, Vlad Namestnikov made it 3-0 when he ripped a wrist shot under the bar that Oettinger didn’t see until was coming back out of the net. Alex Iafallo, who made a great play at the blueline and then made the important pass onto Namestnikov’s stock in front, and Neal Pionk drew the assists.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04198.jpeg">Then, at 13:28 of the third period, Dallas captain Jamie Benn assaulted (not exaggerating) Scheifele and when the ice chips cleared the two brain-dead officials, Wes McCauley and TJ Luxmore ended up assessing the Jets and extra minor. Dallas did nothing on the power play again – the Jets actually had the two best scoring chances – but it once again demonstrated how incredibly bad the officiating has been in these playoffs. Right across the board, in every series, the officiating has been an embarrassment to the sport. Not just the NHL, but the entire sport.&nbsp;Dallas pulled Oettinger with 3:20 left to play and the Stars had territorial advantage but not many real chances to score. Eventually, Ehlers hustled almost the entire length of the ice to beat two Stars to a loose puck and tapped in the empty netter while being hauled down.&nbsp;It was the perfect ending to a nearly perfect night. The Jets were outstanding from start to finish, outshot Dallas 35-22, won 52.5 per cent of the faceoffs and outhit them 49-33.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/the-goal.jpg">The three stars were Connor Hellebuyck, Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele, but there could have been a dozen of them.&nbsp;If it was the last game of 2025, it was the perfect game in which to say good-bye and thank you to the city’s remarkable white-clad fans.

Jets Play Perfect Jets Hockey and Shut Out Dallas 4-0 

<h2>Jets shut out stars 4-0 in Game 5</h2>RECAP:The Winnipeg Jets are back in the fight. For the second time in the Central Division Final, Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets shut out the Dallas Stars 4-0 on home ice.Yes, you're reading that correctly. After dropping back-to-back road contests in Dallas, the Jets will get one more shot at earning a road win - this time, a must-win, when they play the Stars on Saturday night.They got to that point thanks to two Nikolaj Ehlers goals, a fluky bounce from Mark Scheifele and an absolute laser of a power play wrist shot from Vlad Namestnikov. The Jets won and fans got to celebrate at least one more time from Canada Life Centre on Thursday. Whether they lose on Saturday in Dallas, or come home for another chance, the fans got to see their team play their style of hockey one final time. Connor Hellebuyck was spectacular once again, turning aside all 22 shots he faced. The Jets' defence only allowed 22 shots on net, which also proved to be a huge factor in both their shutout wins. Game 6 is set for 7:00 PM central time on Saturday night. HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923193413999927712">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923193413999927712</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923198470581620851">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923198470581620851</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923211761735373084">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923211761735373084</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923218351297335436">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923218351297335436</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923224181669241344">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923224181669241344</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923233093458022404">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923233093458022404</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923233210877583822">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923233210877583822</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923241201643192333">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923241201643192333</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923241599921697257">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1923241599921697257</a>PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Thursday's game vs. Dallas is courtesy of Scott Stroh and James Carey Lauder:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc00781.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc02732.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc00813.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc03307.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04019.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a1364go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a2507go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04170.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a4852go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a4296go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a4689go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04200.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04389.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04213.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc04123.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc03833.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc03922.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a3885go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a3930go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a4966go.jpg">QUOTEABLE:Kyle Connor on Connor Hellebuyck: "He's been great. Even times when we weren't helping him out, he's still I thought looked great. His confidence never waivers. He's the type of guy that comes to the rink every day with a smile on his face and gives us his best. His game throughout the whole first round, second round, the way he's approached it, he's been the same. We've been better in front of him and helped him out in a lot of ways. And he's been awesome when he needs to be."Nikolaj Ehlers on finding a win on the road: "It would mean that we're not going on vacation, yet. It would mean a lot, obviously. We want to go to Dallas and win that game. And like I've said, these fans have been, it's been so special to play here in front of this crowd, and we want to repay them by coming back and playing a Game 7 here."WHAT’S NEXT:Next up is Game 6 from Dallas on Saturday night. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM central time. It can be viewed live on Sportsnet and CBC.

Game 5 Game On Recap: Winnipeg Jets 4 Dallas Stars 0 

<h2>Jets bounce back for Game 2 win over Dallas</h2>RECAP:The Winnipeg Jets have scratched and clawed their way to a Game 2 victory, sending the best-of-seven series back to Dallas tied at ones. Following a 3-2 Game 1 loss to Dallas, the Jets responded with a dominant 4-0 performance in a game that was theirs from the get-go.Scoring just over three minutes in and adding another before the opening period drained to zeros, the Jets scored a third goal in the second period, before Nikolaj Ehlers got his second of the game into the empty net as time ran down the third period. Gabe Vilardi got things going early with a power play marker, while Adam Lowry banked home a rebound off a heavy-checking, offensive zone shift. Ehlers' first of the game was a blooper that found its way past Jake Oettinger on a deflection off his own defenceman. His second was a looper from the top of Hellebuyck's crease that rolled down the length of the ice and into the net for the insurance marker. Connor Hellebuyck was sensational in goal for Winnipeg, turning everything aside that he saw. He will look to pick up his first win on the road in these playoffs when the Jets travel to Dallas for Games 3 and 4, beginning on Sunday afternoon. HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921019101222232490">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921019101222232490</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921022859050172911">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921022859050172911</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921023084280021398">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921023084280021398</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921024197301518583">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921024197301518583</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921030538938273981">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921030538938273981</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921041886753505532">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921041886753505532</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921042120577569274">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921042120577569274</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921054096791871638">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921054096791871638</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921057927240003840">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1921057927240003840</a>PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Friday's game vs. Dallas is courtesy of Scott Stroh:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc01818.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc02061.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc02134.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09477.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc02238.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc02252.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc02329.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc02333.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc02356.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc02365.jpeg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc09685.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/screenshot-2025-05-10-at-00.30.44.png"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/screenshot-2025-05-10-at-00.30.32.png">QUOTEABLE:Gabe Vilardi on Friday's performance: “Good energy in the building. It’s really fun out there. I thought we played pretty solid. I think we had a kind of brief period there in the second where we relied on Helle a bit too much, but other than that I thought it was a pretty good game.”Josh Morrissey on Connor Hellebuyck:“It’s what he does every night for us. He’s an incredible goaltender. You know, he makes very difficult saves look very easy, routinely and often. You could tell he was feeling it tonight. When he’s feeling it like that, it gives the players in front of him, defencemen, forwards a lot of confidence. We’d like to cut down on some of those chances near the end of the second period, but he was feeling it, clearly. He’s done that all year, he’s done that for a long time. We rely on him, sometimes too much, but he was incredible tonight.”Scott Arniel on having a full lineup:"That's the first time since Game 71 that everybody's back. It was good to see. There's obviously the familiarity, starting off with our power play. Obviously, having a four-minute (power play) early in the game like that and to score, was big. Certainly the crowd, not that they needed a bit of a push, but man they got loud after that one and got the second one quick. When you have your roster like that, everybody gets kind of aligned in their spots. Having your top-four defenceman. Having your top-six offensive guys. Then two checking lines, two heavy lines. We're back to looking, finally, like we've looked for most of the season."WHAT’S NEXT:Next up is a Sunday afternoon showdown in Dallas. Game 3 will feature a 3:30 PM central puck drop, while Game 4 goes 7:00 PM on Tuesday.

Game 2 Game On Recap: Winnipeg Jets 4 Dallas Stars 0

<h2>GAME 2 GOES FRIDAY NIGHT AT 8:30 PM AT CANADA LIFE CENTRE</h2>The Dallas Stars simply had too much Mikko Rantanen for the Winnipeg Jets.&nbsp;Wednesday night at Canada Life Centre, Rantanen scored a natural hat trick and that’s all Dallas needed as they won Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Divisional Final 3-2 over the Winnipeg Jets.&nbsp;After getting off to a terrible start, the Jets righted the ship and played solid hockey for two and half periods, but Rantanen scored two power-play goals and the Jets failed to score on all four of their power-play opportunities and that was clearly the difference.&nbsp;The Jets didn’t show up for the start of the first period, but fortunately, their MVP goaltender did. Hellebuyck was sensational as Dallas stormed out, completely dominated the game, controlled the Winnipeg zone and outshot the Jets 9-0 in the first seven minutes.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a1942go.jpg">But eventually, the Jets woke up and thanks to a couple of penalties to the Stars, Winnipeg mounted an impressive offensive attack and while they didn’t score, they did take the next nine shots and finished the first period outshooting the Stars (the Jets first power-play unit had 10 of the shots)13-12.&nbsp;The two teams went to their respective dressing rooms tied at zero and it was the first time this post-season that the Jets didn’t allow a goal in the first period.&nbsp;The Jets got on then board first at 3:30 of the second period when Nino Niedrreiter picked up a pass (lost puck) from Mason Appleton and fired a backhander past the Stars’ Jake Oettinger. It looked like a harmless shot, but Oettinger wasn’t ready for it and was clearly out of position.&nbsp;However, the Stars tied it at 9:43 when Mikko Rantanen banged home a loose puck in Hellebuyck’s crease. It was Rantanen’s sixth goal of the playoffs, and it was the start of the Jets collapse.&nbsp;Rantanen scored again at 14:21 and then completed the natural hat-trick on the power play at 16:38. Sat this point, he had six goals in his last three periods.&nbsp;The Jets stayed alive at 17:35 when Mark Scheifele took a perfect pass from Gabriel Vilardi and beat Oettinger with a perfectly placed wrist shot to the corner.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a3767go.jpg">The Stars led 3-2 after two periods, but things didn’t look good for the Jets simply because Winnipeg had wasted three power play opportunities. Meanwhile, Dallas had scored on its only power play chance and any fan in the building had to know that the Jets were unlikely to see another power play while Dallas was going to get at least one more.&nbsp;The signs were everywhere, there were two obvious Stars penalties in their own end – one tripping and one hooking – but the officials were not calling another penalty on Dallas until they’d evened things up. So even though Winnipeg had outshot Dallas 21-20 and even though they’d played the Stars even up in five-on-five situations, the penalty tally did not bode well for Winnipeg.&nbsp;And of course, it happened. Jason Robertson ran into Gabriel Vilardi as the puck came out of the Winnipeg zone. Neither official saw it but one of them saw enough of the aftermath to make up an elbowing call against Vilardi.&nbsp;To the Jets credit, they fought it off and ended up with a power play of their own as the Stars Tyler Seguin high-sticked Neal Pionk. It was an odd high stick considering Pionk didn’t have the puck and Seguin had no need to lift Pionk’s stick. Seguin just jammed his stick into Pionk’s face. Again, odd.&nbsp;For the rest of the period, the Jets had some great chances, but the puck luck they enjoyed in that marvellous 4-3 comeback against St. Louis in Game 7 of the first round on Sunday, just didn’t follow them into Wednesday night.&nbsp;<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a7152go.jpg">Vilardi, Ehlers and Scheifele all had glorious opportunities to score in the dying minutes, but either Oettinger made the save or the puck went wide.&nbsp;The Jets outshot Dallas 11-4 in the third period, 32-24 overall, and outhit the Stars 46-24, but an anemic powerplay and too much Rantanen was the difference in the opener.&nbsp;The two teams will get back at it on Friday night at 8:30 at Canada Life Centre. It’s unlikely this will be a short series.

Rantanen Scores Three As Dallas Takes The Opener 3-2

<h2>Jets fall to Rantanen and Stars</h2>RECAP:The Winnipeg Jets have lost a game at home for the first time this postseason.The Jets fell 3-2 to Mikko Rantanen's Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the best-of-seven second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Coming off a third period hat trick in Game 7 of his opening round, Rantanen produced a natural hat trick in the second period, for his sixth goal in the past three periods. That was somehow enough to shut down Winnipeg's offence.Nino Niederreiter and Mark Scheifele had the Jets' two goals on a night the team seemed rather disjoint.The power play went a miserable 0/4, while the penalty kill allowed one of Rantanen's markers.Connor Hellebuyck didn't allow a first period goal for the first time all postseason, but still skated off the ice with the loss. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't enough. The Jets will need a stronger effort on Friday night in hopes of evening the series in Game 2 at 8:50 PM central time from Canada Life Centre. HIGHLIGHTS:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920285965928571256">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920285965928571256</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920286199152791939">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920286199152791939</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920294871295803703">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920294871295803703</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920295483651613163">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920295483651613163</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920298395790684340">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920298395790684340</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920300720957370618">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920300720957370618</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920300954999533675">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920300954999533675</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920303382113259889">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920303382113259889</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920307851764941267">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920307851764941267</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920311599484559464">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920311599484559464</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920312163710693694">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920312163710693694</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920318631570805082">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920318631570805082</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920319228042678490">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920319228042678490</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920328680913420355">https://x.com/CBrooksie84/status/1920328680913420355</a> PHOTOS:The extended photo library from Wednesday's game vs. Dallas is courtesy of Scott Stroh and James Carey Lauder:<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a7691go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc00857.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a8775go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a8819go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc00697.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc01527.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc01152.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a9469go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a9307go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a1942go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a5775go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a4992go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a5200go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a0833go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a3742go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a0055go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a6529go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a3349go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dsc01504.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a7282go.jpg"><img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1h0a7152go.jpg">QUOTEABLE:Nino Niederreiter on Dallas' strong start:“They had a great start. It’s something we need to get better at. Our start was once again, not very good. It’s something we know we’ve got to do better and it was a completely different series than the St. Louis one. They are obviously a very experienced team. They know how to be in a tight game, they are extremely patient. That is something we’ve got to learn from.”Mikko Rantanen on his bank-shot goal:"Sometimes it goes that way. You know even that third goal that goes off them and goes five hole. You go through a tough stretch you know you pray for those and those never come. So sometimes it's up and down, it's hockey and now it's going well individually and as a team. It's important in the playoffs. Like I've said before, if you win or had a good game never get too high just kind of reset and enjoy for five minutes after the game and reset."WHAT’S NEXT:Winnipeg will host Dallas in Game 2 of the second round at Canada Life Centre on Friday at 8:50 PM central time. The game can be viewed live on Sportsnet.

Game 1 Game On Recap: Winnipeg Jets 2 Dallas Stars 3

<h2>JETS OFF TO SECOND ROUND OF PLAYOFFS WITH 4-3 DOUBLE OT WIN IN GAME 7</h2>Like a miracle, the Winnipeg Jets are moving on to Round 2 of the Stanely Cup playoffs.&nbsp;And you had to be there. You just had to experience a 4-3 double overtime victory in Game 7 because it doesn’t happen every day.&nbsp;Wow! When Vlad Namestnikov scored at 18:05 of the third period and the St. Louis Blues ahead of the Jets 3-1, Canada Life Centre awakened with a roar.&nbsp;But when Cole Perfetti scored with 1.6 seconds remaining in regulation time to tie the game at 3-3, you’d have thought a tornado went through downtown Winnipeg. The roar was guttural. It started slowly, a little high-pitched at first, and then turned into thunder.&nbsp;A Winnipeg Jets team that appeared to have nothing left in the tank, a team without its two best players, Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele, had just come back from a 3-1 deficit against the determined St. Louis Blues -- with less than 2 ½ minutes to play -- and tied Game 7 of the Divisional semifinal at 3-3.&nbsp;Then, at 16:10 in the second overtime – almost exactly four hours after the opening faceoff – playing with only five defencemen in the lineup, the Jets got a goal from Adam Lowry to win it."It's the kind of thing you dream about as a kid," Lowry said afterward. "I mean, you don't dream about it going in off your leg, but you dream about scoring the winning goal in overtime in a Game 7."<img src="https://game-on-hockey.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/lowry-3.jpg">Inside the Canada Life Centre, it was as loud as anything I’ve ever heard in my life. The building actually shook.&nbsp;In fact, calling it the Miracle on Portage Ave. would not be stretching things too much.&nbsp;After all, in the third period, this Jets team was downtrodden, beaten up, one of their top players was obviously playing hurt – at times Nikolaj Ehlers could barely skate – and yet, even without their two best players, they’d somehow made a game of it.&nbsp;But not just a game, a remarkable comeback that will go down in the annals of Stanley Cup lore as perhaps the greatest comeback of all time.&nbsp;Here are some numbers:&nbsp;1.&nbsp;&nbsp; 19:58 of the third period was the latest time a team had scored to tie a Game 7 in Stanley Cup history.&nbsp;2.&nbsp;&nbsp; Neal Pionk played 46 minutes and 15 seconds and had three assists.&nbsp;3.&nbsp;&nbsp; Kyle Connor assisted on three Jets goals including Perfetti’s tying goal and Lowry’s winner.&nbsp;4.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Jets outshot the Blues 47-29, but Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck might have made the better saves.&nbsp;5.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Jets were outshot 7-3 in the first period, but were never outshot again. In fact, in the first period, St. Louis took a 2-0 lead, and the Jets looked like they were out of it. But this team never gives up and it never surrenders.&nbsp;Sunday night at Canada Life Centre, the St. Louis Blues appeared as if they were going to coast into the second round of the playoffs, but that's when the Jets tied it with only a wisp of a moment to play.&nbsp;In a building filled the building with loud, screaming white-clad fans -- fans who absolutely adore them – the Jets gave them more than they could ever have imagined. It was the comeback of the Century and maybe the greatest game ever played at Canada Life Centre.&nbsp;Jordan Kyrou scored for the Blues at 1:10 of the first and then Mathieu Joseph scored on a shot that Hellebuyck simply fanned on at 7:16 and the rest of the game for the Jets - without Morrissey and Scheifele -- was as difficult as it could possibly be. Vlad Namestnikov missed an open net, Gabriel Vilardi had a couple of good chances but couldn’t beat Jordan Binnington and Kyle Connor was around the net all night but was not rewarded.&nbsp;The Jets did put on a hard-nosed comeback in the second period with Cole Perfetti scoring a beautiful tip-in goal on the power play at 11:41, but the Blues scored again with 34 seconds remaining in the second (the third time in the series they scored with less than 40 seconds to play in a period) and took a 3-1 lead into the third.&nbsp;In the third period, there were churches in Winnipeg that were louder on Sunday than Winnipeg’s downtown rink, but when Namestnikov scored at 18:05, there was a roar -- and a chance.&nbsp;When Perfetti scored, it was absolutely insane.&nbsp;After that brilliant President’s Trophy-winning season and all the wonderful nights at the Canada Life Centre this winter. After Hellebuyck’s brilliance and the scoring prowess of Scheifele, Connor, Ehlers (who had to be hurt because he could barely skate) and Vilardi, the Jets had been run out of St. Louis and it looked like they were going to be run out of their own barn, but there was no quit in them.&nbsp;This tremendous team built by Kevin Cheveldayoff found a way to win.&nbsp;And they did it despite the Blues’ strategy of running Scheifele, Connor, Morrissey and Pionk at every opportunity. Blues head coach Jim Montgomery did what he needed to do to win, knowing that the officials aren’t going to do anything to protect the players. His “attempt-to-injure” approach to the series, his plan to get one of the Jets smaller, quicker D-men or goal-scoring forwards worked when Schenn and Radek Faksa took out Scheifele in Game 5.&nbsp;Of course, things got even worse in Game 7 when Montgomery’s plan worked again. Morrissey was taken out midway through the first period of the final game and never returned. The Jets are not the same team without their best defenceman.&nbsp;By the way, for those who don’t want to believe that wasn’t the plan, you just had to listen to the post-game interviews after Game 5. Montgomery made it clear that Schenn didn’t take out Scheifele, but Faksa did. Somebody was going to take out Scheifele and Montgomery wanted to make sure the right guy got the credit.&nbsp;Of course, in the end, it didn’t work. Players like Morgan Barron, Brandon Tanev, Hayden Fleury, Luke Schenn, Dylan DeMelo, Dylan Samberg, Mason Appleton and Gabriel Vilardi just worked and worked and worked while the stars played like the stars they are. Hellebuyck, Perfetti, Ehlers (despite the injury), Connor, Pionk, Lowry and Namestnikov were sensational.&nbsp;When you score with 1.6 seconds to play and then scored at 16:10 of the second overtime, you are a team that doesn’t quit. And when you have the fans behind them like the Jets have, there is never any reason to believe it’s over. No matter the score.&nbsp;Can’t wait for Dallas to arrive on Wednesday. The next round might be even better.&nbsp;

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