Wild at Jets
The Winnipeg Jets look to add to a season full of firsts when they host the Minnesota Wild in Friday’s Game 5 of their first-round playoff series, potentially just 60 minutes away from winning a postseason series for the first time in franchise history. The key for the Jets, who were flawless in the opening two contests at home before an ugly outing in a Game 3 loss, is to show the form they displayed in a 2-0 road triumph in Game 4 on Tuesday that put Winnipeg on the verge of the second round.
“We know we didn’t play our game the other day, and we know we wanted to get back to our fast game, and I felt like we got to that right off the bat,” Jets center Mark Scheifele told the media after scoring both Winnipeg goals in Game 4. Both teams will be missing key cogs Friday, as Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey is suspended for Game 5 after an ugly cross check on Minnesota’s Eric Staal, and the Wild are without Zach Parise - who scored in each of the first three games but suffered a fractured sternum late in Game 3. Minnesota outshot Winnipeg in Game 4 for the first time in the series (30-28), but could not contain the Jets’ top line of Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor, who combined to finish with two goals, two assists and plus-5. “You can’t start looking at the hill you have to climb overall - that’s not how you have to approach it,” Minnesota goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who has faced on average 35.5 shots per game in the series, told reporters. “It’s next game. We have to win one hockey game in Winnipeg, and we’re more than capable of doing that.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, USA, TVA 2, Sportsnet (Winnipeg), FS North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE WILD: The odds are stacked higher for Minnesota with the injury to Parise - who closed the regular season with 12 goals in his final 18 games - and defenseman Ryan Suter, arguably the Wild’s top blueliner who fractured his ankle before the playoff started. The series would be more lopsided without the outstanding play of Dubnyk, who has saved 132 of 142 shots for a .930 save percentage and has kept the Wild within 1-0 entering the third period in each of Minnesota’s losses. Forward Jordan Greenway and defenseman Nick Seeler are the only Wild players with a plus rating in the series (plus-2).
ABOUT THE JETS: Winnipeg features one of the top offenses in the NHL, and five players have three points or more in the series - led by forward Patrik Laine’s four points (two goals) and three apiece from Scheifele, injured defenseman Tyler Myers, Wheeler and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck responded to getting pulled after two periods in Game 3 with a masterpiece in Game 4, making 30 saves for his first career postseason shutout. Rookie forward Jack Roslovic, who drew into the lineup in Game 2, is plus-3 with two assists through three contests.
OVERTIME
1. Wild F Kyle Rau and D Ryan Murphy are expected to make their playoff debuts in Game 5, as Rau skated with veteran Fs Marcus Foligno and Matt Cullen and Murphy lined up with D Nate Prosser during Thursday’s practice.
2. Jets rookie D Sami Niku, who scored a goal in his only game in the regular season, skated with D Jacob Trouba in practice Thursday as Myers - who missed Game 4 with a lower-body injury - will be a game-time decision.
3. Winnipeg has scored the opening goal in the first four games of the series.