Stanley Cup Playoffs – Round 1 Game 2: Jets vs. Wild pre-game report

After what we saw at the Winnipeg Whiteout Street Party on Wednesday before, during and after game 1 it would be hard top top it but organizers have added a number of things to take it to the next level.  Puck drop is at 6:30 pm but the party starts on Donald Street at 4:30 pm.

With respect to the game at hand we don’t have any more answers to the questions we had following game 1 as the Jets held an optional practice on Thursday.  Going into today’s skate the question marks surround the status of Mathieu Perreault and Tobias Enstrom who were both labeled “game-time decisions” yesterday by coach Maurice.  If Perreault isn’t available it is assumed that Jack Roslovic will draw back into the lineup.

Morning skate notes:

Via Brian Munz of TSN 1290 Winnipeg missing from today’s skate are Dustin Byfuglien, Adam Lowry and Mathieu Perreault.  Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun also indicated that Joel Armia slipped skate and that Matt Hendricks has ditched his non-contact uniform for a regular blue one worn by healthy forwards.

Projected lines, D pairs and goalies:

Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler
Ehlers-Stastny-Laine
Roslovic-Little-Armia
Copp-Lowry-Tanev

Morrissey-Trouba
Morrow-Byfuglien
Chiarot-Myers

Hellebuyck
Mason

Extras: Matthias, Hendricks, Dano and Poolman.

Audio:

Blake Wheeler

Jack Roslovic

Adam Lowry

Coach Maurice:  Generating 82 shot attempts in the last game.  Did he feel like the 40 shots on net were high compared to the good chances they got?  What role does Matt Hendricks play even when he isn’t in the lineup?  On Ken Hitchcock retiring from coaching.  On having to come back from a deficit in the last game.  What would he like to improve on tonight?  Status of Mathieu Perreault?  Has having to adjust lineup due to injuries during the season helped them?  Roslovic?  What is a game-time decision?  Any update on Enstrom?

Audio courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg

Health news:

Coach Maurice indicating that Mathieu Perreault remains a game-time decision which obviously meant he wouldn’t get into whether Jack Roslovic will get his first taste of playoff action.  We will have to wait for pre-game warm up skate to figure out the status of #85.

The Jets bench boss did reveal that Tobias Enstrom is back on the ice skating.