Roope Hintz delivered the kind of finish that can flip a game in a blink. He tied it late in regulation, then ended it in overtime, lifting the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
Dallas was staring at a 2-1 deficit when it pulled its goaltender for an extra skater. That’s when Mikko Rantanen set up shop behind the Jets net and fed Hintz in the slot, where Hintz beat Skinner to send the game to overtime.
The winner came with 1:13 left in the extra session. After Winnipeg’s Neil Pionk had a shot blocked, the puck swung back the other way and Hintz broke free, sliding the puck past Stuart Skinner, who finished with 35 saves.
Wyatt Johnston also played a major role for Dallas, scoring his first goal of the season and adding an assist. Jason Robertson and Rantanen each picked up two assists, while Jake Oettinger made 17 saves as the Stars ran their win streak to four.
Winnipeg got goals from Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor, but the Jets spent much of the night under pressure. Dallas finished with a 38-19 shot advantage, and Winnipeg dropped to 0-2-2 over its last four games.
The Stars had plenty of early control without the payoff, outshooting Winnipeg 12-6 in the first period but leaving the opening frame scoreless. They finally broke through 1:17 into the second, when a delayed penalty gave Dallas an extra skater. Rantanen and Robertson worked the puck into place, and Johnston finished with a snap shot from the near wing.
Winnipeg answered with 9:10 left in the period. After Oettinger denied Brayden Yager on a breakaway, Vilardi jumped on the rebound chaos in front and poked it through traffic to tie the game.
The Jets went ahead 1:48 later. Dallas couldn’t clear its zone, Pionk moved the puck to Connor, and Connor hammered a one-timer past Oettinger from the right circle.
Skinner kept Winnipeg in front with a strong stretch in goal, especially in limiting second chances around the crease. He preserved the 2-1 lead late in the second period by reaching to stop a rolling puck off a net-front deflection from crossing the line.
Winnipeg also had a scare late in the third, when veteran Nino Niederreiter left the game with 6:51 remaining after being struck in the face by teammate Tyrel Bauer’s stick.
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