Well, that “U.S. backup” has Dallas on the verge of its third consecutive trip to the Western Conference Final. Oettinger mostly has outplayed Hellebuyck throughout these NHL playoffs and in the second-round Western Conference series that the Stars lead 3-1 over the top-seeded Jets.

The Winnipeg Jets play against the Dallas Stars in game 4 of their NHL Playoff series tonight. Fans can watch this game for free online.

Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day our writers here at Last Word on Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman watched firsthand when the Winnipeg Jets defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-3 in double overtime in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round and put that magical game in historic perspective.

The Jets have generated their fair share of shots vs. the Stars, and their defensemen have not shied away from getting in on the act. That will shape our Stars vs. Jets props for Game 5, featuring Neal Pionk and Jake Oettinger.

The message is simple for the Winnipeg Jets. If they hope to stay alive in their Western Conference second-round series against the Dallas Stars, they need to score more goals.

Losing in the playoffs is devastating. Losing while not delivering your best makes it even worse. But despite being down 3-1, captain Adam Lowry and the Winnipeg Jets are confident their season isn’t over just yet.