Scott Arniel blasts Jets after lackluster Game 1 vs. Stars

The Winnipeg Jets are in early trouble in their second-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars. Powered by Mikko Rantanen’s attacking brilliance, the Stars came away with a 3-2 victory in the series opener on Wednesday night at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.

Following the game, Jets coach Scott Arniel shared his blunt assessment of how his team performed on the ice, which was clearly not up to par with his liking.

“There was a lot of sloppiness to that game,” Arniel said in the postgame press conference (h/t Bleacher Report). That did not feel like a playoff game in Game 1 and Round 2. That felt like Game 45 in the middle of December. Obviously, we know the high that we were on coming off that St. Louis game. But man, this is the playoffs. That’s a game that no matter how you start the game or however you get into the game, it’s one of those ones that there’s a way we have to play as a group, and that’s not how we play.”

The Jets dominated the possession battle in the first period, with the Stars outshooting the host team, 27-16. Winnipeg lit the lamp first in the contest when Nino Niederreiter found the back of the net nearly four minutes into the second frame. However, the Stars punched back, courtesy of a fiery performance by Rantanen, who scored not one, not two, but three goals in the second period for a natural hat trick.

Connor Hellebuyck, widely regarded as the best goalie in the 2024-25 NHL regular season, continues to struggle between the pipes in the playoffs. Against Dallas, he gave up three goals on 24 shots faced. He has now surrendered at least three goals in each of his last six appearances and in seven of eight starts since the start of the postseason.

The Jets will look to even the series at 1-1 in Game 2 on Wednesday.