The Winnipeg Jets will not let the Dallas Stars win the Central Division

DALLAS (AP) – Laurent Brossoit stopped 24 shots for the third time in his last five starts, David Gustafsson scored on his 24th birthday and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Dallas Stars 3-0 on Thursday night.

The Jets won their fifth straight game after a six-game winless streak and kept the Stars from winning the Central Division title.

Instead, Winnipeg avoided a season sweep by Dallas and finished second to Colorado with 104 points, five behind the Stars.

“This team is a great hockey team,” said Jets coach Rick Bowness, who led the Stars for 2 1/2 seasons from 2019-22. “We knew we had to bring our 'A' game and they did. That's how we want to play.”

Dallas has two games left, while the Jets and Avalanche have three. Winnipeg won a tiebreaker against Colorado to take a 2-0 season series lead into Saturday's final meeting in Denver.

At the end of the first period, Nikolay Ehlers scored the 24th goal and opened the scoring. Gustafsson scored midway through the second period. Mark Scheifele added his 25th shutout.

“They're No. 1 right now for a reason,” Ehlers said of the Stars. “For us to go out there and play like we did tonight against a great team shows what we can do if we play the right way.”

The Stars, who finished second in the NHL in points, were shut out for the third time this season and first since a 4-0 loss at Tampa Bay on Dec. 4. It was Dallas' first shutout at home.

“I definitely know a lot of this system,” Stars forward Tyler Seguin said of facing Bowness' first team defense. “We know style. It couldn't be broken tonight.”

Dallas is undefeated in the President's Cup race for the best record in the NHL. The New York Rangers lost at home to Philadelphia to finish one point ahead of the Stars with 110 points. The Rangers also have two games to play.

Jake Ottinger made 21 saves for Dallas as its eight-game winning streak ended.

“We've been on a good run here for a long time,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think the silver lining is we didn't beat ourselves tonight, and they bounced around the net a few times.”

Connor Hellebuyck's backup Brossoit made some tense saves and got a break in the second period when Jamie Benn's shot deflected off the post and under the 31-year-old traveller.

Brossoit's first two shutouts of the season came a week apart in March. His sixth career shutout came in his first attempt in 10 days. Brossoit is 7-1 in his last eight starts dating back to Feb. 20.

“We didn't give up a lot, but when we did, he was there,” Bowness said. “He's been really good for us this year.”

NEXT UP

Jets: Winnipeg won at Colorado on Dec. 7 and beat the Avs again at home nine days later.

Stars: Seattle at home Saturday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL