When the Winnipeg Jets began play Thursday night in Dallas, they knew there was a chance that, by the end of the night, they could find themselves with a share of the final wild card spot in the West.

The dream was short-lived, however, as the Jets were no match for the Stars, falling behind early and never recovering in a 3-0 loss.

Winnipeg got the game’s first power play just 1:41 into the game but didn’t get a shot on goal.

Just about seven minutes later, Dallas got their first chance with the man advantage when Haydn Fleury was called for cross-checking, and the league’s best home power play came through.

The Stars cycled the puck around the Winnipeg end as Matt Duchene at the left point sent the puck to Mikko Rantanen at the right faceoff dot. Duchene then drifted deep into the zone and got the puck back from Rantanen.

Duchene’s first attempt was stopped by Hellebuyck, sending the rebound into the end boards. Duchene then shot the loose puck back on net from below the goal line, banking it off the pants of Hellebuyck and into the goal at the 9:43 mark.

Just 89 seconds later, the Stars doubled their lead.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories.

Alex Iafallo misplayed a pass in the neutral zone, stumbling back into the Winnipeg end as he was losing the handle on the puck. That allowed Jamie Benn to not have to clear the zone, scooping up the puck before dropping it off to Adam Erne.

Erne sent it across to Arttu Hyry, who then sent it back door to Benn who couldn’t quite handle the pass. It bounced off his blade right back to Hyry, who buried it at the 11:12 mark.

Dallas finished the period with an 11-4 edge in shots on goal, which does not include Miro Heiskanen wiring a shot off the crossbar with just over three minute left.

The Stars added to their lead just 2:15 into the second when a Lian Bichsel point shot grazed off Erne as it made its way to the net, eluding Hellebuyck to make it 3-0.

The Jets nearly got on the board during their second power play chance of the night when Kyle Connor got loose in the slot but he rang his shot off the post.

Shots on goal in the second favoured Winnipeg 7-6 but they still trailed by three goals heading to the third.

They also had to finish the game without Elias Salomonsson, who was felled by a reverse hit from Jason Robertson late in the second.

With not much going on in the third, Neal Pionk leveled Robertson with a low hip check along the boards. It appeared that Pionk was then angling for a fight with Robertson before Colin Blackwell got a hold of Pionk and wrestled him to the ground. It also led to a fight at centre ice between the captains, Benn and Adam Lowry.

As a result of all this, the Jets wound up on a power play but once again failed to capitalize, thanks in part to a great sprawling save from Jake Oettinger.

Thanks to their three failed power plays in the game, the Jets are now 6-for-51 since the Olympic break.

Winnipeg decided to pull Hellebuyck for an extra attacker with under three minutes remaining and poured the pressure on Dallas as they tried to break the goose egg but Oettinger made several strong saves to secure the shutout.

The Jets outshot the Stars 11-4 in the third and wound up outshooting the Stars 22-21 on the night.

Hellebuyck was saddled with the loss, making 18 saves in defeat.

Winnipeg will wrap up this four-game road trip Saturday in Columbus against a desperate and slumping Blue Jackets squad riding a five-game winless streak.

The puck will drop a little after 6 p.m. with pregame coverage on 680 CJOB beginning at 4 p.m.