Connor Hellebuyck stopped all 22 shots he faced, Nikolaj Ehlers scored two goals, and the Winnipeg Jets forced Game 6 with a 4-0 shutout of the Dallas Stars.
In Winnipeg, near the exits of Canada Life Centre, a common sentiment was shared among everyone from ushers and security guards to fans: the hope of another home game.
That sentiment was simply:
See you Monday.
While Thursday`s dominant 4-0 victory didn`t guarantee a Game 7 in Winnipeg, it certainly made it feel achievable, narrowing the series deficit to 3-2 against the Dallas Stars.
Stars forward Matt Duchene acknowledged the possibility after the game, stating:
It might take seven. They’re a good enough team, it could.
This possibility seems especially real when the Jets perform as effectively as they did in Game 5.
Jets coach Scott Arniel credited the entire team`s 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. 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.
Tristan Blackwood