By Basil Stroh
JETS NEED TO FORCE GAME 7 TO STAY IN FIGHT FOR STANLEY CUP
The Jets will face elimination for the second straight game and this time will need to win on the road – something they’ve yet to do so far this postseason – to force a Game 7 and remain in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, while the Stars will have another opportunity to advance to the Western Conference Final. Should Winnipeg earn the win, it would set up the second straight Game 7 for both clubs.
* Winnipeg and Dallas both needed a Game 7 to advance to the Second Round – the Jets have never played multiple Game 7s in a postseason, while the Stars have done so once when the franchise was known as the Minnesota North Stars (2 in 1968). The last team with multiple in a playoff year was the 2024 Oilers, who played in a winner-take-all contest in the Second Round and Stanley Cup Final (1-1). The last team to win multiple Game 7s in one year was the Rangers (2-0 in 2022) and the last Cup winner with multiple Game 7 victories was the Blues (2-0 in 2019).
* Connor Hellebuyck, who is coming off of a shutout performance, will aim to earn his fourth career victory in a game when facing elimination and win consecutive contests when facing elimination for the first time in his career. He’ll be doing so against his former 4 Nations Face-Off goalie tandem partner and current Stars netminder Jake Oettinger, who owns a 17-6 record in games following a loss within a single postseason.
* Winnipeg enters Game 6 at American Airlines Center with one win in its past 11 playoff road games (1-10; 0-4 this year). Since the 16-team playoff format was introduced in 1980, only one team has made it past the second round despite losing four straight road contests within the first two rounds – the 2002 Maple Leafs had an 0-4 stretch as visitors before securing a spot in the Conference Finals.
COURTESY NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS
