Into The Weeds: The Dallas Stars versus the Winnipeg Jets 2025 Playoff Preview
They never said it would be easy.
Somebody called me a madman for wanting this matchup. I just hate being denied the matchups that teams deserve. For a few months, Dallas really began to put the heat on Winnipeg for the top spot in the Central. It didn’t happen thanks to unlikely and dramatic collapse late in the season, but however things ended, there’s no debating who these teams are: the best in the West.
It’s fitting too, that both are coming off two, highly thrilling seven-game slugfests. A good case can be made that Winnipeg and St. Louis’ Game 7 was even just a bit better. The literal seconds remaining of Cole Perfetti (what a difference having a coach willing to trust your offense late in games, huh?) tying the game, Connor Hellebuyck exorcising — at least for a couple of periods — those playoff demons, and their captain Adam Lowry sending them into Round 2. I’m not saying it was better than Mikko Rantanen landing a two-piece and a biscuit on his former team, but hey…a case can be made.
Only now both teams turn their case towards each other. Talk about drama. There’s still so much to learn about these two teams that it’s fascinating to watch two elite squads answer them with the stakes at their highest. How much will Hellebuyck’s playoff choker label follow him, and is it really true after all? How much longer can Dallas hold out without Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson? How long do they need to hold out to begin with? And who was really the better team all year?
That’s what today is all about. Like the Colorado preview, we’ll break down both teams in the broad strokes, offense, defense, look at the tracking data (interesting how the Avalanche data proved insightful, as a dangerous offensive team without anything in the way of chances on the rush or cycle did exactly that — stopped being effective), goaltending and special teams, coaching, whatever x-factor could wield its own power, a prediction, and a poll.
If you’re not a paid subscriber, I’ll open the option to claim your one free post. But just this once! Otherwise, take the journey with me and become a paid subscriber! I thought there was some cool stuff here during the Colorado matchup. This series will be no different.