Scheifele scores winner in shootout victory over Stars

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This article was published 02/11/2021 (1404 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mark Scheifele started slowly in his return to the Winnipeg Jets lineup but left on a decidedly high note Tuesday night.

The veteran centre’s goal on a brilliant deke in the shootout handed the hosts a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Dallas Stars, who had pulled even on a pair of third-period tallies.

Scheifele hoodwinked Dallas goalie Braden Holtby, who was also beaten on a slick move by Kyle Connor earlier in the shootout. 

Jets starter Eric Comrie, tending the crease in place of proud new papa Connor Hellebuyck, yielded a goal to Dallas’ second shooter, Joe Pavelski, and then foiled Alex Radulov, setting the stage for Scheifele’s heroics.

Scheifele was out for five games with COVID-19.

“I guess COVID only makes you stronger,” he said, dripping sarcasm. “It was great. It was awesome to be back for the boys. I had a blast. It was huge to get the win and so fun to be back. It was my first game back in front of the Jets fans again, so it felt even better.”

Scheifele, who also missed the season-opener as he served the final game of a suspension, has yet to score in three outings but has three assists.

After squandering a two-goal cushion in the final frame, the Jets owned overtime, barely allowing the visitors to touch the puck at all. At one point, speedy Kyle Connor retained possession for what seemed like a full minute.

“I think, as I said before, that’s the great part about three-on-three overtime — you get to see the talented players shine. (Connor) was pretty much putting on a clinic,” said Josh Morrissey. “That sort of shift was probably worth the price of admission tonight. It was pretty fun to watch. When he’s skating like that, he’s dangerous every shift and every time he has the puck.”

Morrissey, who scored in the second period, hit the post in OT. Pierre-Luc Dubois, who also had a second-period tally, was stopped cold on a breakaway about two minutes later.

“Yeah, we had some good chances. We had the puck most of it, it seemed. Three-on-three is fun,” Morrissey said. “I don’t think there’s anyone out there in the hockey world that doesn’t enjoy it. Maybe the coaches, but other than that it’s easy to see why it’s so fun to be a part of, chances up and down the ice, seeing all the talent we have in the league these days.

“When your team’s buzzing and getting chances, you hope one goes in for you. But it’s a lot of fun and we got some good looks.”

Winnipeg upped its record to 5-2-2 in its first of seven at home. Next up is another Central Division rival, the Chicago Blackhawks, on Friday night. 

The Stars (3-4-2), now on a four-game winless skid, head to Cowtown to meet the Flames on Thursday.

Morrissey and Dubois each got pucks behind Holtby by markedly different means — with the hosts enjoying the man advantage.

Just 32 seconds into the middle frame, Morrissey scored his third of the season — all coming on the power play — on a missile from the point. Two minutes later, with the Stars again a man short, Dubois notched his seventh when a rebound struck his foot and bounced behind Holtby.

Nate Schmidt picked up assists on both.

Morrissey chose to spread the credit around for his early success with the man advantage.

“You look at the guys that I’m out there with on the power play, some pretty talented players. (Schmidt) has been lights out on that pass over to me, and when you have that many weapons, someone’s going to make a great play,” said Morrissey. “It’s the little things, faceoff wins, puck retrievals, some nice plays all around. So, thankful it’s been going in.

“I’ve worked on (shooting) a lot in the offseason and it’s nice to have some success. But when you’re out with those guys you have to be ready to shoot, and, thankfully, it’s been going in.”

Jammed in between the power-play goals, Winnipeg was successful on an off-side challenge, erasing a breakaway goal by Roope Hintz who crossed the line before the puck got to him.

“Yeah, the players for the most part will call that from the bench. They will see it; you’ve got 20 guys and somebody is looking at it real tight,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “Most of the times they are right on.”

The Stars and Jets became familiar foes through seven seasons in the Central, however, the rivalry was interrupted by temporary NHL realignment last year, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was Winnipeg’s third divisional matchup of the 2021-22 NHL season, after an OT loss to the Wild in Minnesota and a win over the visiting Nashville Predators. 

Each was gritty, high-tempo hockey.

“I think style-wise, it’s a better energy game,” offered Maurice. “It’s a game also that we understand, and getting into a rhythm is important. Getting your identity and the other teams bring that out, there’s a lot of changeover.

“You go a year, year-and-a-half not seeing a bunch of these teams, and they’ve got a lot of personnel changes, coaches have changed and then the game moves along as well. So, I’ve liked our games in the Central Division. I think it’s where we should be at our best.”

Winnipeg centre Paul Stastny, with his third goal, and Stars’ captain Jamie Benn, with his first, traded first-period markers.

In the third, Comrie botched an opportunity to smother the puck during a mad scramble and Jason Robertson’s final whack went in, trimming the lead to one. Just over three minutes later, Jon Klingberg’s high drive was tipped by Tyler Seguin amidst a maze of bodies and found mesh.

Seguin continues to be a Jets killer, with 25 goals and 47 points in 41 career games against Winnipeg.  

Comrie stopped 24 shots to post his first NHL victory at the downtown arena since March 20, 2018 — a 2-1 decision settled by Kyle Connor in overtime. He recorded a trio of home wins with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL last year. 

He made a great first impression, sliding across to block Tanner Kero’s snap shot from close range — the Stars’ first shot of the night.

Holtby finished the evening with 32 saves.

The announced crowd was 13,174, the smallest of the young season. The Jets are yet to play to a full house at home this season.

 

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell