The Winnipeg Jets lost 3-2 in overtime to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Thursday, with Roope Hintz scoring the extra-time winner just 1:13 into the extra frame. The result left Winnipeg to take a single point from the matchup as they continue to be involved in close contests this season.
Skinner keeps Jets competitive
Goaltender Stuart Skinner was a steady presence for the Jets, stopping 35 shots in the loss. His performance kept Winnipeg within striking distance through the night as they chased the game late. The club has now played a string of tight affairs, with Thursday marking their eighth one-goal game in the first 10 contests of the season — a pattern that has helped produce a 3-3-2 mark in one-goal decisions.
The scoring opened in the second period when Wyatt Johnston put the Stars ahead off a delayed penalty after a pass from Mikko Rantanen. Later in that frame Winnipeg levelled the game when Gabriel Vilardi scored his first goal of the season at 10:50, finishing off a sequence following a stopped shot by Dylan Samberg.
- Final score: Stars 3, Jets 2 (OT)
- Stuart Skinner: 35 saves
- Winnipeg’s goals: Gabriel Vilardi, Kyle Connor
- Overtime winner: Roope Hintz (his second of the night)
Late chances and small margins
Kyle Connor also scored for Winnipeg, but the Jets were undone by a late turnover and the decisive end-to-end play in overtime that allowed Hintz to sneak his second of the game past Skinner. The visitors had several opportunities earlier, including strong looks from Winnipeg’s top line in the opening period, but could not convert until the second period.
Head coach Scott Arniel stressed the positives after the game while acknowledging room for improvement.
"We gave up two six-on-five goals and an overtime goal, so did a lot better things than the St. Louis game,"
"There's still some things we got to work on, but at the end of the day, it was closer to how we wanted to play. It's a good team over there." Arniel’s remarks underline a view that, despite the loss, the Jets competed well against a strong Dallas side.
How the game unfolded
The Jets’ top line generated the game’s early momentum, with Connor nearly beating Stars goalie Jake Oettinger with a backhand late in the first period. On another shift Connor fed Mark Scheifele in the slot, but Oettinger stoned the opportunity, preserving a scoreless first frame.
Dallas struck first in the second, then Winnipeg responded through Vilardi. The Jets remained active offensively, even creating a promising short-handed chance that Oettinger turned aside when Brayden Yager broke in on a breakaway. In the third and overtime, the contest tightened further, with each team trading chances before Hintz’s finish ended the night for Winnipeg.
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shots saved (Skinner) | 35 |
| One-goal games (Jets this season) | 8 |
| Jets goals | Gabriel Vilardi, Kyle Connor |
Looking ahead
The Jets will return to Winnipeg and have a practice scheduled Friday as they prepare for the upcoming Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday. The team will hope to sharpen aspects of their play — particularly in late-game defence and puck management — to turn these tight results into wins.
For Winnipeg fans, the pattern of close one-goal games offers both frustration and optimism: the club is consistently competitive, but fine margins have decided several outcomes so far. How the Jets address those margins in the coming days will shape their early-season trajectory.
