Winnipeg Jets Playoff off day media availability

The Jets didn’t skate today as the team is off following their game 4 loss to the Avs yesterday afternoon which saw them go down 3-1 in their best of seven series. It’s an unenviable position to be in and we spoke today with Neal Pionk, Adam Lowry and head coach Rick Bowness.

Player media availability:

Coach media:

Topics:
1) What needs to be done to keep series going?
2) Conveying strategy to the players (1:15)
3) Lack of intensity? (2:09)
4) Test of this team’s unity with three straight losses (3:28)
5) Latest on Vlad Namestnikov? Did he need surgery? Is he out? (3:55)
6) Updates on Brenden Dillon and Morgan Barron? (4:23)
7) Would he be surprised to see Namestnikov play tomorrow? (4:51)
8) Is Cole Perfetti an option and thought process behind move (5:21)
9) Connor Hellebuyck as a Vezina Finalist (5:35)
10) Has the team done enough to help Hellebuyck? (6:33)
11) Chance they’ve gotten against Alexandar Georgiev? (6:44)
12) Is he making changes to forwards/defence? (7:34)
13) Solutions not excuses (7:44)

Health updates:

Rick Bowness indicated that Vlad Namestnikov has a “fractured cheekbone. There’s no orbital damage but they kept him overnight and he’s on his way back.” He wouldn’t rule him out for game 5. He was also asked about Brenden Dillon and Morgan Barron.

“Morgan hasn’t skated so Morgan is definitely out.”

“You know what a competitor Dilly (Brenden Dillon) is. We’re not going to put him in harms way let’s put it that way. We’re not going to put him out there, listen he’d play with two broken hands if he could, if we’d let him but we’ll make the right decision based on what’s best for him. Again we’re not going to put him out there unless we’re 100% sure there can be no more damage done.”

Up next:

Tomorrow is an elimination game as the Jets and Avs get set to play game 5 in Winnipeg with puck drop at 8:30 PM CDT. Join us before the game on the Illegal Curve Pre-Game Show which gets underway at 6:30 PM CDT and which you can watch live at CityPlace (333 St. Mary Avenue). As well we want you to be part of the discussion after the final buzzer on the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show.

David Minuk

Working hard on a daily basis to provide the latest Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose news for our readers and listeners. I also appear on the Illegal Curve Hockey Show every Saturday on our YouTube channel as well as the Illegal Curve Post-Game Show after every single Jets game. And I occasionally jump in the play-by-play booth at Canada Life to provide colour analysis during Manitoba Moose games.

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