Perreault will be a game-time decision in Anaheim

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This article was published 15/04/2015 (3836 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mathieu Perreault made an appearance on the Honda Center ice with the Winnipeg Jets today, but it wasn’t for the full team practice.

Perreault, who had to leave last Thursday’s game in Colorado, did not play Saturday at home against Calgary and had missed practices in Winnipeg on Monday and Tuesday because of a lower-body injury.

Jiri Tlusty was in his place alongside centre Adam Lowry and right-winger Lee Stempniak today but Jets coach Paul Maurice still wasn’t ruling Perreault out of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night

“He’ll be a gametime decision for tomorrow,” Maurice declared at his post-practice press conference today.

Jets defenceman Toby Enstrom did not practice today but the coach said it was nothing unusual and that Enstrom will be in Game 1.

“We have a schedule, a routing and three days of practice is highly unusual for us,” Maurice said. “So we picked our days for certain guys.”

The Jets went for about 35 minutes today, getting ready for their first playoff appearance since the 2011 relocation.

A Jets team hasn’t been in the NHL playoffs since 1996.

“I would say we’re pretty excited,” Jets defenceman Tyler Myers said today. “I know it’s a lot of guys’ first time in the post-season but the way the games have felt the last month for us, especially the last two weeks, from what I can remember, it felt like post-season hockey. We were fighting for a spot for a while there, basically since I was traded with Drew (Stafford) and especially towards the end there, it felt like playoff hockey.

“I think everyone’s more than excited and ready to go for tomorrow night.”

Jets’ No. 1 centre Bryan Little is one of those players who hasn’t been in a post-season game in his career.

That changes Thursday after 556 regular-season games.

“The last four years have gone by pretty fast but this team’s been on an upswing,” Little said. “We’ve added some key guys and our young guys have played well down the stretch. And there’s that excitement from our fans and in this dressing room that we finally got to this point.

“I think everyone’s congratulating us and everyone’s celebrating but I think we enjoyed it for 24 hours and it’s kind of back to work. Getting here is only one step of the process.

“I’m not (nervous) right now but I imagine I will be before the puck drops tomorrow night.”

 

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca