Stars 5 - 2 Jets
Final
  for this game

Jets hope to avoid longest skid since October in clash with Jets

Jan 31, 2015 - 3:23 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Winnipeg Jets will try to avoid posting their longest losing streak since October as they host the Dallas Stars on Saturday night at MTS Centre.

The Jets have lost back-to-back games on the heels of a five-game win streak, putting the current Western Conference wild card holders four points behind Chicago and six back of St. Louis in the Central Division. They also are eight points off the pace of first-place Nashville.

Winnipeg was defeated 5-2 by the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, with Mathieu Perreault scoring both goals for the visitors. He lit the lamp for the first time since scoring four goals on Jan. 13 versus Florida and his 18 tallies on the season are one off the career-high 19 he had in 69 games a season ago.

"I feel a lot better today, but at the end of the day, it's not good enough for our team," said Perreault. "We were sitting pretty in the standings. Then you lose two, so we've got to start winning. You can't wait until late March to get going."

Michael Hutchinson took the loss despite 27 stops as the Jets are in danger of losing three in a row for the first time since a season-high four-game slide from Oct. 11-19.

Netminder Ondrej Pavelec may be the one to try to help Winnipeg snap its skid if the club's goaltender rotation remains in place. Pavelec is 4-3-0 lifetime versus the Stars in seven games (6 starts) with a 3.65 goals against average and .900 save percentage.

The Jets have won the first two of four meetings this season with the Stars, both in Dallas, and have split four encounters in Winnipeg since relocating from Atlanta.

The Stars put their own two-game losing streak to rest on Thursday, overcoming a blown lead to beat the Ottawa Senators 6-3.

Dallas led 3-0 in the first period before Ottawa scored twice in the final four minutes of the frame and then saw the Senators pull even 2:45 into the third.

However, John Klingberg scored unassisted with 9:09 to play and Dallas got empty-net goals from Trevor Daley and Jaime Benn, both shorthanded.

Despite the win, head coach Lindy Ruff thought the Stars played better in Tuesday's 3-2 loss at Montreal.

"I didn't like the mistakes we made when the game was 3-0," Ruff said. "They won a puck battle on a faceoff; they won a puck battle inside the blue line. When you are winning 3-0 those are battles you got to win. Tonight, we found a way to win. The other night, we deserved to win and didn't."

Benn also scored in the first period, Daley added two assists and both Colton Sceviour and Ales Hemsky tallied to back Kari Lehtonen's 25 saves.

Dallas is four points back of a wild card spot and will likely turn to Lehtonen, who is 4-1-1 lifetime versus the Jets in six meetings with a 1.95 GAA and .944 save percentage.

Winnipeg placed forward Matt Halischuk on injured reserve Friday due to an undisclosed injury and recalled winger T.J. Galiardi from the minors.






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