Halischuk defies beard tradition

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This article was published 16/04/2015 (3799 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — It’s unlikely there’s a quieter teammate in the Winnipeg Jets locker-room.

And that made it all the more surprising it was winger Matt Halischuk who bucked one of the unwritten traditions in the NHL — if you’ve got things going your way, don’t shave the beard.

The veteran forward came to work clean-shaven last weekend after the Jets had clinched their Stanley Cup playoff spot. He had grown quite a healthy bloom of facial hair in the stretch drive.

“No, and I’m not really a superstitious guy,” Halischuk laughed on the morning of Game 1 at Honda Center, asked about breaking with tradition. “That beard was more of a regular-season thing and it kind of got extended when we got into that run there.

“Just not superstitious. Just part of the fun with the guys. Most guys went clean, or cleaner. Guys were pretty taken aback the first day when I came in.”

Halischuk, who had 17 games of previous playoff experience with Nashville, said he will be upholding tradition now that the playoffs have begun.

“It (shaving last week) was a little bit of a different look, but the plan is to grow one back here. It’s starting over.”

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Jets left-winger Mathieu Perreault did not play Game 1 against the Ducks.

Since being injured in a game in Denver a week ago Thursday, Game 81 of the regular season, he’s been on the shelf with a lower-body injury.

Perreault didn’t play last Saturday, nor did he practise with the Jets Monday or Tuesday. Wednesday, he joined the team on the ice near the team practice and Thursday morning, he did the same late in the morning skate, but stayed on the ice only a couple of minutes.

Thursday morning, Jets coach Paul Maurice continued to insist Perreault would be a “game-time decision.”

Jiri Tlusty went into Perreault’s spot on the line with Adam Lowry and Lee Stempniak.

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Ducks winger Patrick Maroon, who skated with Anaheim’s top duo of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry for Game 1, said early Thursday he had no illusions that the Jets will be an easy opponent.

“Obviously we all know they’re big and strong, their defencemen,” he said. “They kind of remind me of L.A. They have a couple of guys who can move the puck.

“It’s fun hockey. Hitting everywhere and getting pucks in and down low, on both sides of the ice. They’re a fast team and I think myself that we’re a pretty fast team.”

“It’s hard hockey, like playing with a pork chop out there.”

***

Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau was again discounting the Jets’ lack of playoff experience for this series.

“Those guys, it’s a media-built thing that they haven’t been in there,” Boudreau said. “I mean, it’s a fact but at the same time I think their players are taking it one game at a time and they’re very well-coached.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca