Both the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars are set to receive significant offensive boosts for Game 1 of their second-round Western Conference series. Jets forward Mark Scheifele and Stars winger Jason Robertson are returning to their respective lineups as both teams hit the ice following dramatic Game 7 victories in the opening round.
Scheifele had been sidelined since Game 5 of the first round against the St. Louis Blues due to an undisclosed injury, missing the last two contests. He has recorded six points (two goals, four assists) in five playoff games played so far. During the regular season, he finished second in team scoring with a career-best 87 points, contributing to Winnipeg`s Presidents’ Trophy win.
Robertson, conversely, has been out since April 16 with a knee injury. He participated in practice on Tuesday, skating alongside Wyatt Johnston and Mason Marchment. This season, he finished second on the Stars roster with 80 points and led the team with 35 goals.
Meanwhile, the Jets will play Game 1 without defensemen Josh Morrissey and Logan Stanley.
Morrissey exited Game 7 in the first period after being hit into the boards. In the first six games of Winnipeg`s first-round series, he tallied three assists while averaging 23:30 of ice time. The 30-year-old defenseman posted 14 goals and 48 assists over 80 regular-season games.
Stanley has appeared in five games this postseason, registering no points, a minus-2 rating, and 42 penalty minutes. Haydn Fleury replaced him in the double-overtime Game 7 victory, playing 33:02. Both Morrissey and Stanley practiced on Wednesday, staying on the ice afterward for extra work, skating together as a potential fourth pair.
Game 1 of the second-round playoff series between the Jets and Stars is scheduled for Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. CT in Winnipeg.
Tristan Blackwood