Stanley Cup Playoffs – Round 1 Game 4: Jets vs. Wild pre-game report

The big question ahead of today’s game was the status of Tyler Myers although that seems moot with a report yesterday afternoon which had the tall Jets Dman making his way back to Winnipeg.  Questions still abound with respect to the health of Enstrom and Perreault but short of them skating in a morning skate or a practice I suspect we will not get one word out of the coach about it.  Well that isn’t entirely true as we would likely get three words from him on the subject “game-time decision”.

If Myers is in fact back in Winnipeg and with Tobias Enstrom not yet practicing with the team, my suspicion is that Sami Niku would be brought up to fill the role of the seventh Dman.

Pre-skate news:

Sami Niku has been recalled.

Morning skate notes:

Via Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun “are on the ice, no sign of Tyler Myers, Toby Enstrom, Mathieu Perreault or Adam Lowry, though Lowry is expected to play tonight. Would put the first three guys in the doubtful to unlikely category.” He also indicated “Connor Hellebuyck is sticking with his routine of skipping the morning skate, though he came out briefly to test out his skate sharpening and quickly retreated to the room”.

Forward pairs aren’t expected to change and the D pairs come via Brian Munz of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.

Projected lines and D pairs and goalies:

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

Morrissey – Trouba
Morrow – Byfuglien
Chiarot – Poolman

Hellebuyck
Mason

Audio:

Blake Wheeler

Patrik Laine

Tucker Poolman

Ben Chiarot

Coach Maurice:  What can the team do better to help their goalie?  On Tucker Poolman potentially getting his first chance to see playoff action.  How does he help Poolman mange the nerves?  How has Poolman managed being out of the lineup for long stretches?  Is it harder for a rookie?  On the experience for Sami Niku.  How does the tightness of the dressing room get translated onto the ice?  Is this the tightest group he has coached?  Is there a way to promote it?  On the absence of Tyler Myers.  On Dustin Byfuglien being ‘fun’ in the room.  Is he expecting Myers back in Minnesota?

Courtesy of TSN 1290 Winnipeg.