Granlund's hat trick gives Stars stranglehold on Jets

Mikael Granlund registered a hat trick in Game 4 on Tuesday night to propel the Dallas Stars to a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Winnipeg Jets.

The Stars are now one victory away from reaching the Western Conference Final for a third consecutive season.

Granlund scored a goal in all three periods to set up Dallas' 3-1 victory, beating Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck clean each time.

"When you pass all the time, you know, you're going to surprise the goalie maybe once in a while to shoot the puck," Granlund said, per NHL.com's Taylor Baird. "The job is not done. We have a lot of work to do. So you know, a good win, and we have a tough game ahead of us in Winnipeg."

Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger was sensational, making 31 saves. The Jets held a 25-22 scoring chance advantage in all situations, according to Natural Stat Trick, but couldn't capitalize.

"I want the guys to look down at me and feel like I'm going to be able to give them a chance to win every night, and I feel like I've done that so far," Oettinger told Sportsnet after the game. "A lot of hockey left."

Dallas' Game 4 win marked the return of star defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who's been out of action since late January because of a knee injury. He drew an assist on Granlund's third goal and logged 14:52 of ice time.

"Tonight was the first night we've actually had our full team together, and everyone is still not 100 percent, but a nice feeling to have," head coach Pete DeBoer said, per Baird.

The Jets are now 0-5 on the road this postseason and have lost nine consecutive playoff games away from home dating back to 2023.

Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday in Winnipeg.