The Winnipeg Jets faced a significant challenge on their blue line during Saturday`s crucial Game 6 encounter against the Dallas Stars. Star defenseman Josh Morrissey was forced to exit the game in the second period due to an apparent injury and did not rejoin his teammates on the bench for the start of the third period.
Morrissey`s injury occurred following an awkward collision with Stars forward Mikko Rantanen. The play saw Rantanen appear to land on Morrissey`s left leg in an unfortunate sequence, after which the Jets` assistant captain went to the locker room.
This incident marks another injury concern for Morrissey this postseason. He previously missed Game 1 of this second-round series against the Stars as he was recovering from an upper-body injury. That earlier injury was sustained during the Jets` first-round Game 7 victory over the St. Louis Blues.
Prior to leaving Saturday`s contest, Morrissey had skated for 14 minutes and 56 seconds. His stats line before the exit included one shot on goal, two hits recorded, and four shots blocked.
Aged 30, Morrissey has been an important offensive contributor during the current playoff run, having tallied six assists before the injury. In the preceding regular season, he maintained a solid +17 rating over 80 games, scoring 17 goals and accumulating a total of 62 points. He averaged over 24 minutes of ice time per game in the regular season, highlighting his importance to the team.
Tristan Blackwood