Winnipeg Jets vs Dallas Stars Game 1

Jets Undervalued at Home Despite Season Series Edge

The Winnipeg Jets return to Canada Life Centre on Tuesday night to open their second-round series against the Dallas Stars. After surviving a grueling seven-game battle with the St. Louis Blues, the Jets now face a deep and experienced Dallas team but bring confidence from a strong head-to-head record and a loud home crowd.

Winnipeg won three of four meetings against Dallas during the regular season, including both matchups on home ice by a combined score of 8–2. Despite those results, they enter Game 1 as slight underdogs. The offense is paced by Kyle Connor (12 points) and Mark Scheifele (6 points in 5 games), while role players like Mason Appleton (6 assists) have quietly chipped in. The biggest question mark is in goal, where Connor Hellebuyck must bounce back from a disappointing first round (3.85 GAA, .830 SV%) though history shows he's capable of elite form, especially at home.

Dallas arrives after knocking out Colorado in another seven-game series, leaning on the steady play of Jake Oettinger (2.85 GAA, .911 SV%) and star winger Mikko Rantanen, who leads all remaining players with 12 points. The Stars’ power play was sharp at 30.4%, but their penalty kill (68.0%) could be vulnerable against a Jets team that went 7-for-28 (25%) on the man advantage. Both teams had shaky penalty kills in Round 1, suggesting special teams could play a huge role in Game 1.

While the Stars have the goaltending edge on paper, Winnipeg’s home ice success, recent offensive surge, and historical edge over Dallas make this a strong spot for the underdog. Hellebuyck will need to steady the ship, but he’s been in this spot before and the Jets have proven they know how to beat the Stars.

If both teams continue their special teams trends, there’s also strong potential for goals at both ends.

Best Bet: Winnipeg Jets ML (+105)

The Jets are 3-1 against Dallas this season and have outscored them 13–5. Back at home, this is a high-value spot to ride a motivated Jets squad that has historically matched up well with the Stars.

Bonus Bet: Lean Over 5.5 (-120)

With two potent power plays and sub-70% penalty kills on both sides, Game 1 has real potential to break open if whistles are frequent. The over is in play.