The Dallas Stars look to end a three-game losing streak when they visit the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
Scoring goals continues to be the primary problem for the Stars. While they’re tied for 15th in the league in fewest goals allowed, they rank second from the bottom in goals scored.
Dallas is averaging just 1.75 goals per game and has yet to score more than three goals in regulation in any one of their eight games.
That may be about to turn around. Forward Jason Robertson returned last week after missing six games with a shoulder injury and reunited with Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski on the top line. The unit hasn’t scored in two games since then, but they are generating scoring attempts.
“We’ve had lots of chances now the last two games we’ve played, but we have to put those in the net,” Hintz said. “If you don’t, then it doesn’t help the team win. We have to get more pucks in the net.”
Pavelski scored the only goal in Friday’s 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, but that came on the power play. Meanwhile, the Stars were unable to cash in on two breakaways and hit the post twice.
“You’ve got to find ways to score goals in this league, and we’ve had some great looks,” Pavelski said. “We’ve had second chances, we had breakaways, we had zone time. It’s just not going in right now.”
Among those still looking to find the net for Dallas is captain Jamie Benn, who has two assists in eight games.
Dallas will also look to manage the puck better on Tuesday as they committed 20 turnovers against the Senators.
Winnipeg returns home after an impressive 2-0-1 road trip. The only loss came in Saturday’s finale against an undermanned San Jose Sharks team that placed seven players in COVID-19 protocol before the game.
Forward Kyle Connor scored late in the third period to force overtime and help he Jets grab one point.
“It just wasn’t good enough for the first couple of periods,” said Neal Pionk. “The third period, we found a way to tie it up and salvage a point, but that can’t continue the rest of the year if we want to get to where we want to be going.”
Connor has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) through eight games, including 13 points on his current six-game point streak.
“He’s been fairly prolific wherever he’s played,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said of Connor.
Pierre-Luc Dubois has a seven-game point streak (six goals, four assists).
The Jets are expected to add forward Mark Scheifele to the mix Tuesday as he returns after missing five games while in COVID-19 protocol.
“I felt good on the ice today,” Scheifele said after Monday’s practice. “I think it’s just one of those things where you can’t do everything on the first shift, you just kind of have to work it in and eventually it’ll just come back to instinct.”
Forward Blake Wheeler returned from COVID-19 protocol against the Sharks after missing five games and played 18:21.
–Field Level Media
