Morrissey scores in OT as Jets survive late collapse against Stars
Winnipeg recovers for 5-4 victory after giving up 2 goals in final 2:12 of regulation
Red-hot Jason Robertson tied it for Dallas with two goals in the last 2:12 of regulation, but Winnipeg's Josh Morrissey scored 34 seconds into overtime to give the Jets a 5-4 victory over the Stars on Friday night.
The Jets pulled two points behind Central Division leader Dallas and out of a tie for second place.
Morrissey took a feed from Blake Wheeler to beat goalie Jake Oettinger.
"We got a good stop down low," Morrissey said. "I knew it was [Dallas defenceman Miro] Heiskanen below the goal line and I tried to take off. Robertson was kind of flat-footed and [Wheeler] made a nice pass and I just tried to bury it."
WATCH | Morrissey lifts Jets over Stars in OT:
Robertson accepted the blame for Winnipeg's winning goal.
"I pride myself on doing everything both ways, and unfortunately I was on the wrong side of guys tonight," Robertson said.
Adam Lowry had a goal and an assist for Winnipeg. Wheeler and Dylan DeMelo had two assists each. Cole Perfetti, Jansen Harkins and Kyle Connor also scored for the Jets, who never trailed.
Rookie Wyatt Johnston scored the Stars' first goal.
A game-opening flurry led to four goals in the first 7:47 of play and an early 2-2 tie. That flurry followed Wednesday's game, when Dallas rallied from a 4-1 deficit by scoring five times in the final 9:45.
Perfetti put in a backhand for the first goal 1:32 into the game, and Harkins scored at 5:48 for a 2-1 lead and his first goal in six games since his recall from the AHL's Manitoba Moose.
Johnston and Benn scored the two Dallas tying goals within 30 seconds of the Jets' first two goals.
The Stars nearly tied the game again on a power play with 12 minutes to play. Denis Gurianov sent a shot from the right faceoff circle off the left goalpost, and Hellebuyck then stopped Tyler Seguin's attempt with the rebound in the blue paint.
WATCH | Hellebuyck denies Seguin with incredible stick save:
Robertson's tying goal survived a situation-room challenge that ruled Morrisey had run into Hellebuyck and there was no contact with a Dallas player.
Winnipeg had won a challenge at 5:22 of the second period after Robertson put a shot from the right faceoff circle past Hellebuyck. The initial ruling was a goal, but replay showed that before Robertson's shot the puck hit the net behind the goal.
Robertson broke the Stars' 28-year-old record for the longest points streak. Dave Gagner had set the record in 1993-94. His son, Jets centre Sam Gagner, witnessed the changing of the guard. The franchise record is 20 by Brian Bellows in 1985-86, when it was the Minnesota North Stars.
Bowness tribute
In the first period, the video board showed Bowness, the Stars' head coach for the previous two seasons, including a trip to the Stanley Cup finals in 2020-21.
Bowness gave the cheering crowd a thumbs-up. He said, "My only disappointment was going to the finals in the bubble in Edmonton and not having our fans there."
Winnipeg finishes a three-game road trip at Chicago on Sunday.
