Kyle Connor scores 2 goals and adds an assist as Jets beat Stars 4-1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor scored twice and added an assist to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Friday night.

Dylan Samberg and Morgan Barron also scored for Winnipeg, while Mark Scheifele had three assists. Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves.

Mason Marchment scored for the Stars with 3:49 to play and Jake Oettinger stopped 18 shots.

Winnipeg’s 96 points widened its Western Conference and Central Division lead over the Stars to 10 points. Dallas has two games in hand. The Jets also moved two points ahead of the idle Washington Capitals for top spot in the league.

Samberg scored when his shot went through traffic past Oettinger at 8:01. Connor made it 2-0 with a one-timer that went over Oettinger’s stick with 2:58 left in the frame.

The team’s leading scorer made it 3-0 with his 35th goal of the season at 6:43 of the second.

Barron tipped in a Dylan DeMelo shot at 7:26 of the third to stretch the lead to 4-0.

Jets: It wasn’t the physical battle most expected, but the Jets used some strong passing to set up key goals.

Stars: After not playing since last Sunday, the Stars didn’t seem to knock off their rust until the third period.

Connor and Morrissey went down the ice together late in the second period. Connor passed the puck across the front of the net to Morrissey and the defenseman gave it back to him for a one-timer shot that made it 3-0 at 6:43.

Winnipeg continues to be the only team in the league without a regulation loss when leading after a period this season. The Jets have gone 26-0-3 when leading after the first period and 36-0-1 when ahead after the second.

Stars play at Colorado on Sunday, and Jets visit Seattle.

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

Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele's (55) shot gets past Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) but goes off the post during first-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Friday, March 14, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Gabriel Vilardi (13) celebrates after a goal by teammate Dylan Samberg (not shown) against Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, second from right, during first-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Friday, March 14, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Josh Morrissey (44) and Kyle Connor (81) celebrate after Connor's goal against the Dallas Stars during second-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Friday, March 14, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

A shot by Winnipeg Jets' Kyle Connor (not shown) gets past Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) for a goal during second-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Friday, March 14, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) reacts after a goal by Winnipeg Jets' Kyle Connor (not shown) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Friday, March 14, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Kyle Connor (81) celebrates after his goal against the Dallas Stars during first-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Friday, March 14, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55), Kyle Connor (81), center, and Josh Morrissey (44) celebrate after Connor's goal against the Dallas Stars during second-period NHL hockey game action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Friday, March 14, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)

TOKYO (AP) — Chicago Cubs fans take pride in being underdogs, a role that ended briefly when they won the World Series in 2016 to end a 107-year drought between championships.

They were right at home in Tokyo facing the Los Angeles Dodgers and megastar Shohei Ohtani in a two-game series to open the Major League Baseball regular season. Chicago dropped the first game 4-1, then allowed a homer by Ohtani in a 6-3 defeat in the second game.

Dodgers fans easily outnumbered Cubs fans 10 to 1 at the Tokyo Dome. On the sheer interest level, Ohtani was probably 60-70% of the draw in the sellouts, with the Cubs and Dodgers splitting the rest.

“That’s what’s great about the Cubs, we're always the come-from-behind team,” said Zach Valavanis, a Cubs fan entering a theme bar in the Tokyo Dome complex, filled with Cubs logos and memorabilia — and dozens of other Chicago fans.

“I feel like that’s been the case forever,” Valavanis added, citing the come-from-behind effort to win the 2016 World Series.

Cubs batting practice was well attended. But the Dodgers batting practice was a spectacle with hundreds of photographers, reporters and video journalists staking out Ohtani and his two Japanese teammates — pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.

The Cubs have two Japanese players — pitchers Shota Imanaga and designated hitter Seiya Suzuki — who didn't go unnoticed. But they're not Dodgers.

“What did they (the Dodgers) spend — three, four, five billion dollars,” said Zach's brother Alex Valavanis, both wearing white Cubs jerseys. “I don’t think they can keep up that pace, but we’ll see.”

Cubs manager Craig Counsell kept it simple. He said being a very high-profile afterthought comes with the territory.

“We’re playing the world champions, you expect that from that perspective,” he said. “We’re playing against the most famous player in the world. So you expect it from that perspective as well.”

“When you’re the world champs, you get to enjoy the spoils of that — and that’s fair to me,” he added.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts kept his explanation even simpler.

“I think in totality, there’s still a few ballclubs that share that same lore of history," he said. “But baseball, a lot of it is cyclical, and so our hope is we can continue to ride this high tide as the Dodgers.

“I just think it’s more skewed because of Shohei. And nothing against the other Japanese players,” Roberts added. "But Shohei is just such a beast of this whole equation.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

A Chicago Cubs fan makes her way to her seat before an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers walk around the Tokyo Dome ahead of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers walk around the Tokyo Dome ahed of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Chicago Cubs' fans walk around the Tokyo Dome ahed of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Fans hold up a Japanese national flag during team intorductions before an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers walk around the Tokyo Dome ahed of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Fans of the Chicago Cubs take selfie at the Tokyo Dome ahead of an MLB Tokyo Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, in Tokyo, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)