WINNIPEG — Mark Scheifele returned from COVID-19 protocol to score the shootout winner for the Winnipeg Jets in a 4-3 win over the visiting Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Scheifele, Winnipeg’s top scorer last season, missed five games while in protocol. Jets forward Kyle Connor also scored in the shootout. Joe Pavelski had the lone Dallas goal in the shootout.
Paul Stastny, Josh Morrissey and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored in regulation time for Winnipeg (5-2-2). Jamie Benn, Jason Robertson and Tyler Seguin were the goalscorers for the Stars (3-4-2).
Winnipeg goaltender Eric Comrie stopped 24 of 27 shots. His Dallas counterpart Braden Holtby made 33 saves on 37 shots.
Trailing 3-1 after two periods, Dallas tied the game with less than seven minutes remaining in the third period. Seguin tipped defenceman John Klingberg’s point shot by a screened Comrie.
The Stars scored a power-play goal at 8:43 of the third to pull within one. Robertson pounced on a loose puck in the crease that Comrie had failed to cover up for Robertson’s first of the season.
The Jets scored a pair of power-play goals in the second period when the Stars also had a goal disallowed.
Morrisey’s point shot beat Holtby in the period’s first minute. A goal by Dallas forward Roope Hintz was waived off after Winnipeg’s challenge for offside was successful.
The Jets then took advantage of an extra man again when Dubois scored at 7:23.
Benn’s goal at 16:16 of the first period knotted the score 1-1. Seguin dished to Benn alone in front of the net and the latter deked Comrie before putting the puck in the net.
Winnipeg opened the scoring midway through the opening period.
Stastny deflected a point shot from defenceman Nathan Beaulieu and Holtby inadvertently swept the puck into the net behind him.
Jets regular starting goaltender Connor Hellebuyck missed the game because his wife gave birth to a baby boy Tuesday morning. Mikhail Berdin was called up from the AHL Manitoba Moose to back up Comrie.
Winnipeg is at home to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. The Stars are in Calgary on Thursday to face the Flames.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2021.
Jim Bender, The Canadian Press