The Winnipeg Jets are on the verge of doing something they’ve never done before.
Thanks to yet another exemplary performance in a 4-0 win in Dallas Thursday night, the Jets need to pick up just one point in their final three games to clinch the first division title in the history of NHL hockey in Winnipeg.
Both teams had a few chances to score during a fast-paced, physical first period before the Jets broke the ice with less than two minutes to go.
As the Jets broke the puck into the Dallas end, Adam Lowry dropped the puck off to Josh Morrissey for a one-timer that Nino Niederreiter deflected past Jake Oettinger, opening the scoring at the 18:37 mark of the first.
Winnipeg wound up outshooting the Stars 13-10 through 20 minutes.
The Jets doubled their lead at the 3:37 mark of the second. After the Winnipeg were called for icing, they were able to corral the puck off the ensuing faceoff and their fourth line broke the puck out up the ice.
Morgan Barron made a move at the Dallas blue line to elude Lian Bichsel, creating space to drive the net and beat Oettinger on the blocker side, reminiscent of the goal he scored to open the scoring against the Blues on Monday.
Winnipeg carried the 2-0 lead into the third period as Connor Hellebuyck turned aside all seven shots he saw in the middle frame.
The Jets had to begin the third period shorthanded as Nikolaj Ehlers was called for the game’s first penalty in the dying seconds of the second but Winnipeg got the kill.
A great backcheck by the Jets’ top line led to the backbreaker with just over six minutes gone in the third.
After Kyle Connor turned the puck over near the Dallas blue line, he helped break up a play in the defensive zone, leading to a bad pass that was intercepted in the slot by Alex Iafallo. He sent the puck up the ice where Mark Scheifele raced to it, chipping it past Bichsel and into the Stars’ end where Connor was first to it before deking out Oettinger and sliding the puck into the net to make it 3-0 with 13:40 remaining.
The assist for Scheifele was his 85th point of the season, setting a new career-high while Connor matched his career high with his 93rd point of the campaign.
A few minutes later, Connor set a new career-high in points, scoring his 40th goal of the season thanks to a great setup from Morrissey and Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who let the pass from Morrissey go through his legs and right to Connor alone in front of Oettinger.
From there, the Jets allowed very little to get through to Hellebuyck, who only had to make seven saves in the third, part of a 24 save effort for his eighth shutout of the season. He also set a new career-high with his 45th win of the season.
While one more point by the Jets would clinch the division, any more losses by Dallas would also guarantee the division title for the Jets, which technically would not be the first in franchise history as the Thrashers won the Southeast in 2007 before getting swept in the first round by the Rangers.
The original Jets did not win a division title in 17 seasons before moving to Arizona.
The Jets get their first crack to seal the deal Saturday evening in the Windy City against the Blackhawks. Pregame coverage on 680 CJOB starts at 4 p.m. with the puck dropping a little after 6 p.m.