Jets Rout Stars 8-3 as Scheifele Ties Hawerchuk for Franchise Points Record
The Winnipeg Jets secured their fifth victory on Thursday, November 12, routing the Dallas Stars 8-3 at American Airlines Center.
The win, fueled by a five-goal second period, pushed the Jets to a 9-8-3 record, positioning the club in a points tie for the final Western Conference playoff spot, Illegal Curve Hockey reported.
The Stars entered the contest with a four-game point streak but saw that momentum vanish as Winnipeg’s offense overwhelmed goaltender Jake Oettinger. Oettinger allowed six goals on 27 shots before being pulled one minute into the third period in favor of Casey DeSmith, who surrendered two goals on three additional shots, according to NHL.com.
“We played good in the first,” Oettinger told NHL.com. “Kind of looked like we thought they were just going to roll over and let us win. It’s obviously not the case, and we learned that.”
Dallas initially held a 2-0 lead following a first-period goal from Arttu Hyry, who scored on a one-timer blocker side, and a breakaway backhand from Roope Hintz that went through the five-hole of the goaltender. The game shifted decisively in the middle frame, where Winnipeg scored five times.
“It’s a lot of want and desire, but channeling that want and desire the wrong way,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan told NHL.com. “We self-inflicted most of that stuff against a team that’s actually in the last few games executing at a high level.”
Mark Scheifele headlined the offensive surge, recording two goals and an assist. His performance allowed him to tie Dale Hawerchuk’s franchise record of 929 points, a milestone made possible by the NHL’s 2024 decision to merge statistics from the original Jets 1.0 and the current iteration of the club, Sportsnet.ca reported.
Scheifele, who was the first draft pick by the Jets after their 2011 relocation from Atlanta, previously played under Hawerchuk in the OHL. Hawerchuk, who died in 2020 at age 57, played nine of his 16 Hall of Fame seasons with the original Jets between 1981 and 1990.
“Yeah, words can’t really describe how it feels, it’s pretty incredible,” Scheifele told Sportsnet.ca. “Just the amazing player that he was and what he meant to the city of Winnipeg and what he meant to me, it’s a pretty cool feeling.”
The offensive production extended beyond the top line. Dawson Mercer contributed two goals, while Kyle Connor added his 16th goal of the season, Illegal Curve Hockey reported. Dylan Samberg also scored, and Gabriel Vilardi recorded three assists.
“We kind of just got to work,” Scheifele told NHL.com. “Got on their defense, had good sticks. Kind of started moving the way we like to, and from there, we were able to create a lot.”
The upcoming consecutive home games between these two teams on December 19 and 20 are reminiscent of previous back-to-back scheduling, Illegal Curve Hockey noted. These upcoming meetings are reminiscent of the back-to-back home set the Jets hosted against the Capitals in March 2013.
Scheifele now sits just one goal behind Hawerchuk’s franchise-leading 379 career goals, Sportsnet.ca reported. The victory marks the fifth win for Winnipeg, which currently holds a 9-8-3 record.
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