Murat Ates

Related, somehow:

How Jonathan Toews’ encouraging performance could come to define the Jets’ season Whether he's comfortable with the idea or not, Toews' recovery is going to be a defining element to Winnipeg's story this season.

Jonathan Toews is probably used to being a symbol of his team's fortunes — just not quite like this.

Why Toews' encouraging — but flawed... but encouraging! — #NHLJets debut makes him the perfect symbol of Winnipeg's season to come ⤵️

www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

David Gustafsson clears, joins stacked Moose team getting... Stacked-er?

You get it. Forgive me.

How Jonathan Toews’ encouraging performance could come to define the Jets’ season Whether he's comfortable with the idea or not, Toews' recovery is going to be a defining element to Winnipeg's story this season.

Jonathan Toews is probably used to being a symbol of his team's fortunes — just not quite like this.

Why Toews' encouraging — but flawed... but encouraging! — #NHLJets debut makes him the perfect symbol of Winnipeg's season to come ⤵️

www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

How about emotionally?

"It was just really exciting before the game. Once you get your legs under you, you just go out there and play ... You enjoy it when you play your best, so I’m just trying to find a way to do that."

How did Jonathan Toews feel out there tonight?

"Close. But a lot of room for improvement. A lot of little things I can do better."

"They scored three goals off entries. That’s not us. We don’t give up those plays with a guy who’s dead center in the middle of the ice, getting chances. We have to work on that."

-Scott Arniel on the pile of chances Winnipeg gave up tonight. Long time since it's been like that.

Arniel, continued:

"Whether that was man on man or one on one or battles for good spots. They beat us to positions, they got to inside (space) on us a few times. We certainly know that we can be better in those areas."

"We lost a lot of battles."

An excerpt from Scott Arniel's assessment of the game. He'd been asked about the #NHLJets' level of compete.

The ending was not storybook. The Dallas Stars held on to win 5-4, despite the #NHLJets push. Two shorthanded goals, a hat trick for Kyle Connor, and a Game 1 defeat for the Winnipeg Jets -- to the team that eliminated them last year.

I hope everyone had fun.

Jets timeout with 20 seconds left in the Harley penalty and 1:16 left in the third.

Could you imagine if No. 19...

Thomas Harley put the puck over the glass. #NHLJets power play with 2:52 left in the third period, just 7 seconds after Kyle Connor's hat trick goal.

Kyle Connor rips one short side to bring the #NHLJets within one. It's a hat trick for Connor with 3:03 left in the third.

Now it's Kyle Connor jumping onto a Mark Scheifele chip and racing down the ice to score a shorthanded goal.

A pair of #NHLJets shorties make this a two goal game with 8:51 left in the third 👀

I'm not pinning it all on Samberg's absence but Fleury is out of his element playing top competition with Pionk.

Samberg's return would help.

What a shorthanded Morgan Barron goal, outracing three Stars and then pulling the puck to his backhand around Jake Oettinger.

The speedster makes it 5-2 Stars.

5-1 Stars. Wyatt Johnston spins a shot through Connor Hellebuyck that may have hit Haydn Fleury upon release. Bit of a crowd there.

Fleury picking up some early minuses to start the year.

Winnipeg needs Dylan Samberg back.

This one's a Stars goal for the highlight reels. Matt Duchene spins off Haydn Fleury and fires a cross-ice pass to Tyler Seguin for the tap-in.

It's 4-1 Stars.

3-1 Dallas. Jason Robertson scores just as Neal Pionk gets back onto the ice but after Josh Morrissey had lost his stick. It's essentially a 5-on-2 power play goal.

Back to 5-on-5 now, as Iafallo gets freed by the goal. Jets are in a hole early in the third.

Vilardi is on the ice before the third. Looks like all is well.

40 minute Jet review.

It is a good thing that Connor Hellebuyck is good.

Jonathan Toews is near good things but not finishing good things.

Gabriel Vilardi is playing with pace. Also took a hard hit towards the end of the second but stayed on the bench.

That D needs Dylan Samberg.

The second period ends with cheers as Connor Hellebuyck makes his 24th and 25th saves, this time on Dallas' 5-on-3, and the #NHLJets make it to the intermission down 2-1 to Dallas.

Peak Toews doesn't shank that so far wide. Toews has been around it tonight, but it may require patience before #NHLJets get to put an exclamation point on Toews' homecoming NHL return.

It is a bit jarring to watch these two teams wear the same jerseys and dress many of the same players but be much slower, non-playoff versions of themselves.

Playoffs are obviously different, I know, but it hits me every year.

The eyes support it. The first period saw one D pair do just fine and the other two get buried a couple of times each.

2-1 Dallas after 20 minutes of play. Some cobwebs early (and poor defending!) and yet another season-opening Kyle Connor goal.

That Jennings Trophy threepeat looks in peril early

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It is a privilege to write for such a great community of hockey fans.

Thanks to your support, I will be at every #NHLJets home game, a small selection of road games, and all over them throughout their playoff run.

I get to do what I do because of you and I am grateful for it every day.