Apr 21, 2025; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN;Winnipeg Jets heart Mark Scheifele (55) will get set to dam shot by St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg (6) within the second interval in sport two of the primary spherical of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canada Life Centre. Necessary Credit score: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Photographs The visiting Winnipeg Jets will take the ice with out one in every of their finest gamers after they attempt to shut out their Western Convention first-round sequence in opposition to the St. Louis Blues with a victory in Recreation 6 on Friday evening.
Mark Scheifele was injured within the first interval of a 5-3 win by Winnipeg in Recreation 5 on Wednesday. He took a thunderous hit from Blues heart Brayden Schenn about six minutes into the sport, leading to an interference penalty on Schenn, adopted by matching roughing penalties on Schenn and Brandon Tanev of the Jets.
Scheifele completed out the primary interval however didn’t return for the second. He’s thought-about day-to-day.
The highest-line heart was second on the Jets in objectives (39) and factors (87) in the course of the common season and has six factors (two objectives, 4 assists) in 5 playoff video games.
Groups are particularly guarded with their damage info in the course of the postseason, and Jets coach Scott Arniel was no exception. When requested Thursday if Scheifele was in concussion protocol, Arniel stated, “I am not happening that street.”
Vladislav Namestnikov took Scheifele’s place on the highest line in Recreation 5 and produced a aim and an help within the second interval.
“It is not one man that should fill the sneakers of Mark. It must be everyone,” Jets ahead Kyle Connor stated. “Vladdy, he is been nice for the entire sequence, and a pair probabilities right here or there and he may have some higher outcomes. You see it (in Recreation 5). He drives laborious to the web, performs all laborious areas very effectively, defends effectively and, clearly, is a key contributor on two of these objectives.”
The Blues are hoping a return to St. Louis will present the identical enhance it did for Video games 3 and 4.
St. Louis dropped two shut video games in Winnipeg to begin the sequence, then erupted for 7-2 and 5-1 wins again house.
“They acquired the higher of us (in Recreation 5), however we have Recreation 6 at house and a job to do,” St. Louis defenseman Justin Faulk stated.
The Blues will undoubtedly try to put extra pucks on web. They’d simply 9 photographs on aim by way of the primary two durations of Recreation 5, hurting their odds of getting one previous Connor Hellebuyck, the probably Vezina Trophy winner this season.
St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery stated the staff additionally must play extra related, assist the puck higher, get again on protection faster and forecheck more durable.
“It is each side, however you realize what, it is a sequence. It will occur,” Montgomery stated. “Sadly, we’re not glad about it, however we’re onto the subsequent one. It is so simple as that. We have to overlook about it. We’re in a sequence.”
The Jets hope to proceed defending effectively, forechecking with intent and getting within the eye line of St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington.
“Clearly, now we put ourselves within the driver’s seat to go to St. Louis,” Jets ahead Mason Appleton stated. “Hopefully, we shut this sequence out, however we all know how good they’re at house and what we’ve to do. That was our greatest sport of the sequence (in Recreation 5), and we have to duplicate that.”
–Area Stage Media
