Winnipeg Jets vs. Dallas Stars Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/23/2022

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

Where to watch: ESPN+

DraftKings: Check back later

BetMGM: Check back later

Caesars: Check back later

Jets: 22-20-8

Stars: 27-20-2

There's one thing that we can say for certain when it comes to the Winnipeg Jets and the Dallas Stars: they're not gonna be short on games once the season resumes full swing in March.

These two teams have played more makeup games than I feel any team outside of the Calgary Flames over the past few weeks, which includes a 4-3 win for Dallas at home on Feb. 11. Since then, the Stars have split their next four with wins over the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks, but a loss to the Arizona Coyotes.

Clearly, everything makes sense in the world of hockey.

The Jets are returning to the states after dropping two games to Canadian rivals Edmonton and Calgary. You'll recall we picked the Calgary winner from Monday, a 3-1 result for the hottest team in the league right now.

Winnipeg just does not have it right now. We're talking about a team that has had to go through a coaching change mid-season, but there are bigger problems that persist outside of Paul Maurice deciding to resign midway through the season. They're not scoring enough, they're not giving enough help to Connor Hellebuyck end the season just seems lost for Winnipeg despite the fact that they are still very much entrenched in the playoff race. How? I'm not even sure but hockey is weird that way.

It just boggles my mind that only a few years ago this team was three wins away from a trip to the Stanley Cup final and since that time, Winnipeg has just fallen off a Cliff. They've made the playoffs and they've had competitive teams, and they've had teams that have looked dangerous from many standpoints. But at the end of the day Winnipeg just does not have that it factor right now and that really is sad given how much talent is on this team.

Not a fun time right now for the true north.

I feel like we're going to get to the point sooner rather than later that the Dallas Stars will be a topic of conversation at the everyday mark of this season. Because you look at the Stars and see that there is the talent, there is the young talent, and they finally have some goaltending.

Despite Dallas losing 3-1 to the coyotes on Sunday, Dallas is still very much alive in this playoff race. Something like that should not have even been fathomed a couple of months ago but here they are. Jason Robertson continues to be one of the best young players in the game, Joe pavelski has turned back the clock and is having the best season of his career, and Jake Oettinger is having a tremendous rookie season.

The biggest thing with the stars has always been to find a source of offense to carry them when the games seem tight and there's no sense of scoring available. Dallas is still hovering around the mid table when it comes to goals per game at 2.86, while unfortunately giving up 2.94 in the process, but there's still so much to like about this team and there's so much talent that can seemingly win games at the right time.

Whether or not we get there this season remains to be seen, but I've always thought that no one ever wants to go to the American Airlines Center and play a playoff game against Dallas. Should it get to that point, and we're well on our way to that point for as long as those names mentioned earlier continue to play well, the rest of the league better take note.

Part of me wants to look at how Dallas played against Colorado last week, losing in a shutout at home only to win by three the next night. I don't know for sure if this is going to feel the same result, but I have more faith in Dallas winning at home and beating a struggling Winnipeg team that fails to play to its upper standards, then I do The Jets trying to figure out what it is they're trying to do at this moment. So give me Dallas in a comfortable victory at home. Stars win 3-0

The Jets are 31-19 when getting revenge on an opponent after they scored four goals or more the previous matchup.

The under is 21-6 when the Stars are coming off an under.

The Stars are 3-11 after consecutive games where four or fewer goals were scored.

Jets:

Paul Stastny -- Mark Scheifele -- Blake Wheeler

Kyle Connor -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Adam Brooks

Kristian Vesalainen -- Adam Lowry -- Kristian Reichel

Jansen Harkins -- Dominic Toninato -- Austin Poganski

Josh Morrissey -- Dylan DeMelo

Brenden Dillon -- Neal Pionk

Logan Stanley -- Nate Schmidt

Connor Hellebuyck

Stars:

Jason Robertson -- Roope Hintz -- Joe Pavelski

Michael Raffl -- Tyler Seguin -- Denis Gurianov

Jamie Benn -- Jacob Peterson -- Alexander Radulov

Joel Kiviranta -- Radek Faksa -- Luke Glendening

Esa Lindell -- John Klingberg

Ryan Suter -- Miro Heiskanen

Thomas Harley -- Jani Hakanpaa

Jake Oettinger

Points: Kyle Connor -- 54

Goals: Kyle Connor -- 29

Assists: Blake Wheeler -- 28

Goalie: Connor Hellebuyck -- 17-18-7, 2.80 GAA, .914 SV%

Points: Joe Pavelski -- 53

Goals: Roope Hintz -- 22

Assists: Joe Pavelski -- 32

Goalie: Jake Oettinger -- 15-6-0, 2.34 GAA, .921 SV%