2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Winnipeg Jets vs Colorado Avalanche pre-game 1 report

It’s felt like forever but the 2023-24 season regular season is over and the post-season has begun. The slate of games got underway on Saturday and today Jets fans finally get a chance to bring back the Whiteout for game 1 of round 1 when they take on the  Avalanche for the first time ever in the playoffs. Colorado delivered some big news yesterday as the team announced they would be without  Jonathan Drouin for the first round with a lower-body injury. That’s a big blow to their depth.

The season series was in Winnipeg’s favour as they won all three games by an aggregate score of 17-4 with the 7-0 win a few weeks back playing a big role in that disparity. Especially when you consider that Colorado is the highest scoring team in the NHL while, as we all know, Winnipeg is the stingiest giving up the least number of goals against which sets this up to be a classic question as to whether it is a good offence or a good defence which wins championships (or in this case a round).

Another thing to consider is that the Avalanche haven’t been a very good team on the road going 19-16-6 away from the Centennial State while Canada Life Centre hasn’t exactly been Friendly Manitoba with the home team boasting a 27-11-3 record.

As we learned in practice on Saturday it will be David Gustafsson who draws in for Morgan Barron who was ruled out of game 1 by Jets bench boss Rick Bowness on Friday.

Morning skate news:

As per Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press a few players are taking the optional including Adam Lowry, Josh Morrissey, Tyler Toffoli and Sean Monahan.

Unless we see different in warm-up the lines and D pairs are based on practice from Saturday.

Lines & D pairs:

Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi
Ehlers-Monahan-Toffoli
Niederrieter-Lowry-Appleton
Gustafsson-Namestnikov-Iafallo

Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
Stanley-Samberg

Hellebuyck

Media:

To follow.

Up Next:

Join us before the game on the Illegal Curve Pre-Game Show which you can watch on our YouTube channel and live at CityPlace (333 St. Mary’s). Puck drop is at 6 pm CDT.  Be sure to head over to illegalcurve.com following the game for a recap of the action which includes post-game interviews from Jets players as well as from head coach Rick Bowness. You can also join us afterwards for the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show (be sure to smash that like/subscribe button).