Winnipeg Jets coach provides latest on Gabriel Vilardi and Mark Scheifele

The Jets are not the same team without Gabriel Vilardi and Mark Scheifele in the lineup. You don’t need to be a genius to figure that one out. Last night in Boston, the Jets went up against the top ranked Bruins and held in there for most of the game before the home team took advantage of the shorthanded visitors to skate away with a 4-1 win.

Winnipeg has been without Mark Scheifele since he left a game against the Blackhawks back on January 11th early in the 2nd period. He has subsequently missed the last four games.

Yesterday after morning skate Jets head coach Rick Bowness declared Gabriel Vilardi a game-time decision. Vilardi didn’t play in the game and was labelled as dealing with a lower-body issue.

Today the team held an optional practice in Toronto as they prepare for a home-and-home set with the Leafs which gets underway tomorrow night in Ontario. As per Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press both players were on the ice in regular uniforms.

Following the skate here was the message from Rick Bowness via Mitchell Clinton of the Jets:

“Rick Bowness said Scheifele and Vilardi remain day-to-day. He didn’t rule either player out, but says the team wants to see how they feel tomorrow before saying whether they’re in or out.”

Obviously the team won’t rush either player back prematurely but you’d have to think that for Vilardi (Kingston) and Scheifele (Kitchener-Waterloo) it means a lot to play in front of friends and family in Toronto.