The Stars may just want to wrap up their second-round Western Conference series when they have a chance in Game 6, and not let Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets get another game in Winnipeg.

While the Stars have a 3-2 series lead and aren’t facing elimination Saturday night at home, a loss would send them quickly back to Winnipeg for a series-deciding game. That is where Hellebuyck has back-to-back shutouts and hasn’t allowed a goal to the Stars in more than 141 minutes on the ice since Mikko Rantanen’s hat trick in the second period of Game 1 that was enough for a 3-2 win.

“We felt like we needed to win this one. You don’t want to give them any life at all. We don’t want to come back here for Game 7,” Stars forward Matt Duchene said after their 4-0 loss Thursday night extended the series. “Obviously up 3-1 at one point, it might take seven. They’re a good enough team, it could.”

Hellebuyck and the Jets, however, have lost nine consecutive playoff road games since winning their postseason opener at Vegas in 2023, including Games 3 and 4 of this series in Dallas.

The Presidents’ Trophy winner has been outscored 25-8 away from home in these playoffs.

“We’ve got to win a road game,” Jets captain Adam Lowry said. “We haven’t played well on the road at all this playoff, so no better time than now to start.”

Soccer: The National Women’s Soccer League said Friday that a game between Angel City and the Utah Royals should not have continued after defender Savy King collapsed on the field and had to be hospitalized. The league said it came to the conclusion after reviewing its protocols and listening to feedback from stakeholders.

NFL: The Jets released kicker Greg Zuerlein on Friday, an expected move as the team continues to get younger on its revamped roster.