WINNIPEG — As fans and staff departed Canada Life Centre after Thursday`s vital playoff game, a common phrase could be heard near the exits: “See you Monday.”
The Winnipeg Jets` convincing 4-0 shutout victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 5 didn`t assure a Game 7 would be played back in Winnipeg, but by cutting the Stars` series lead to 3-2, it made the possibility feel well within reach.
“It might take seven,” conceded Stars forward Matt Duchene after the loss. “They’re a good enough team, it could.”
This potential is particularly evident when the Jets perform with the level of precision and intensity they showed in Game 5.
Jets coach Scott Arniel highlighted the collective performance: “That was our whole roster stepping up and knowing what the challenge was in front of us. And putting their best game on the ice,” he stated. “And it was everybody. Forwards, defensemen, goaltender. It was everybody stepping up, not wanting to be eliminated tonight. You could see it right from the puck drop, the opening shift. We didn’t take our foot off the gas.”
