Perreault could be in Sunday’s Jets lineup against Chicago

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This article was published 28/03/2015 (3840 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mathieu Perreault is a realistic option for the Winnipeg Jets Sunday night at the MTS Centre against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The centre/left-winger has missed 16 games with a lower-body injury, but went through practice today without a hitch and seemed to be matched up with a pair of wingers that would indicate he could be in against the Hawks.

Perreault skated between Chris Thorburn and Matt Halischuk for today’s 45-minute on-ice session.

“I got a full practice and didn’t feel it really at all so it looks like I’ll come back tomorrow,” Perreault said after today’s practice. “I feel good.

“It’s going to come down to the coach, who’s going to decide, but from what they told me it’s looking good for tomorrow.”

Maurice wasn’t committing to the decision just yet, saying he needed to see Perreault come back to the rink on Sunday not feeling any worse for wear.

“The team’s playing well so you don’t want to mess around too much with the lines,” Perreault added. “If I can come back and just try to get a few minutes to get back into things, to get my game and get back in gameshape.”

The Jets, with 90 points in 75 games, still hold the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot. The Hawks are at 94 points in 74 games and in third spot in the Central, the final automatic qualifying spot.

Today, both centre Bryan Little and defenceman Ben Chiarot also made it through a regular session of practice but Maurice hinted that neither would be ready for Sunday’s game. He also said he’s more likely to stagger the return of players who have been out a long time, which could mean that Little and Chiarot would return next Tuesday and Saturday.

The coach also declared today that he’s going with Ondrej Pavelec in goal Sunday against the Hawks, simply because Pavelec has been hot. He has won his last six starts.

Also today, the Jets welcomed 2013 fourth-round draft pick Andrew Copp for his first practice with the team.

The 20-year-old, who decided this week to leave the University of Michigan after three years to turn pro, got a quick taste for a good, old-fashioned conditioning skate at the end of his practice today.

“That was pretty tough, a pretty good little bag skate at the end there for me,” said Copp. “It’s pretty tough getting off the plane trying to get my legs under me so it was good to get bagged like that, to get used to the pace that is the NHL.”

After his Wolverines lost the final of the Big10 hockey tournament last weekend and didn’t make the NCAA final 16, he skated on his own a couple of times in the last week, “trying to stay in shape but obviously it’s different at this level than college.”

Maurice said today that Copp will spend some time getting integrated with the team and learning its systems before any other determinations will be made.

 

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca