The Dallas Stars’ 3-1 win in Recreation 4 in opposition to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night time was a distinction in offensive effectivity. The Jets transformed simply as soon as on 72 shot makes an attempt. Dallas middle Mikael Granlund, in the meantime, wanted solely three shot makes an attempt within the sport to attain three objectives. His hat trick was all of the offense the Stars wanted to take a commanding 3-1 sequence lead, transferring one win away from their third straight journey to the Western Convention Finals.
“Clearly, the job shouldn’t be completed. We have got loads of work to do. [But] that was an excellent win,” Granlund stated.
It was the primary profession hat trick for Granlund, a 13-year veteran whom the Stars acquired from the San Jose Sharks in a commerce again in February. Three objectives on three pictures, all of them crusing previous Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who remained winless on the street within the 2025 postseason.
Granlund’s first objective got here at 8:36 on the ability play, as he skated in on three Jets defensemen and fired a snap-shot previous Hellebuyck from the highest of the slot.
“I used to be simply capturing it someplace and it went in,” Granlund. stated.
“I acquired a clear sufficient look. It was only a rattling good shot, simply above my pad and beneath my glove,” lamented Hellebuyck.
“Clearly, he most likely desires the primary one again, the wrister,” Jets coach Scott Arniel stated of Hellebuyck. “On the finish of the day, we have to get him some run help. Get him a lead.”
Granlund’s second shot and second objective got here on a play began by Mikko Rantanen, whose league-leading level complete now stands at 19 for the playoffs. His outlet move discovered Granlund within the impartial zone, sparking a 2-on-1 with Roope Hintz. Granlund stored the puck and roofed it to provide Dallas a 2-1 lead after Nik Ehlers had tied the sport for Winnipeg earlier within the second interval.
“While you move on a regular basis, you possibly can shock the goalie generally once you shoot the puck. It is good to shoot infrequently,” stated Granlund, who had twice as many assists (44) than objectives (22) within the common season.
Granlund’s third and closing shot try of the sport was on one other Dallas energy play within the third interval, following a double-minor penalty to defenseman Hayden Fleury for high-sticking Hintz.
Defenseman Miro Heiskanen, within the lineup for the primary time since Jan. 28 after lacking the final 32 regular-season video games and first 10 playoff video games due to a knee damage, collected the puck after Matt Duchene rocked it off the put up. Heiskanen slid it over to Granlund for a one-timer that introduced him to his knees on the ice. After the shot beat Hellebuyck at 7:23 of the third interval, as waves of hats hit the ice in celebration of Granlund’s three-goal night time.
It was becoming that Rantanen and Heiskanen had factors on Granlund’s hat trick. This was the primary sport that the Stars’ so-called “Finnish Mafia” all performed collectively, as Heiskanen was injured earlier than Granlund and Rantanen joined the workforce. These three skaters joined countrymen Hintz and defenseman Esa Lindell in serving to Dallas to victory.
“It was enjoyable for positive. Enjoyable to lastly be on the ice with them,” Heiskanen stated.
Goaltender Jake Oettinger did the remaining with 31 saves, lots of them on harmful Winnipeg possibilities. However ultimately, all of the Stars wanted have been three shot makes an attempt whereas the Jets’ voluminous offensive night time solely produced one objective.
“Oettinger made some large stops. However we had 70 shot makes an attempt. Now we have to get a couple of objective,” Arniel stated. “If we will not discover a couple of objective, we’re not going to win hockey video games, particularly [against] this workforce.”
Dallas will try to shut out the sequence on Thursday night time in Winnipeg.
