Lipon pleased with NHL debut, despite loss to Avalanche

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This article was published 19/01/2016 (3787 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was everything JC Lipon imagined, and then some. But his National Hockey League debut also lacked one key ingredient, in his mind: a Winnipeg Jets win.

“It was a nice night. Obviously it would have been nice to get the win, but all in all it was pretty special,” said Lipon Tuesday after an optional Jets skate that featured just 11 skaters.

“It’s fast out there. But my game’s speed and I felt comfortable out there as the game went on. It’s good when your first shift is in the ‘O’ zone because down there you are a little more comfortable. In the ‘D’ zone sometimes when you are battling to get it out it can become a little more stressful.

“The guys are bigger, everyone’s always in position so you know where they’re going to be. You don’t have the puck on your tape as long, that’s for sure. It’s just definitely faster, but I felt comfortable.”

Lipon had his parents and grandparents at the MTS Centre for Monday’s 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, along with his agent and some of his mother’s co-workers. The next question is whether he’ll be in the lineup for Thursday’s home date with the Nashville Predators.

“That’s everyone’s dream, to play in the NHL,” said Lipon. “To play a game is pretty special. Now you move on to the next step, which is trying to get into more games.

“It was special playing in Winnipeg. The fans are really loud and I got of taste of that in the exhibition games as well. I kind of knew what to expect. I’ve been ready for this my whole life.”

The 11 participants on the ice Tuesday were goaltender Michael Hutchinson, defencemen Dustin Byfuglien, Mark Stuart, Ben Chiarot and Adam Pardy and forwards Lipon, Patrice Cormier, Anthony Peluso, Nikolaj Ehlers, Andrew Copp and Joel Armia.

Jets coach Paul Maurice said the players currently in sick bay – forwards Adam Lowry, Drew Stafford and Mark Scheifele along with goaltender Ondrej Pavelec – will be on the ice on Wednesday, but not with the main group. Pavelec will be on at the end of practice to work more with shooters, while Scheifele, Stafford and possibly Lowry will skate on their own.

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Asked how those injuries impact their game, he said:

“That’s how the game is going to look (1-0 win over Minny, 2-1 loss to the Avs). It’s got to be a tight game, there’s a fair chunk of offence out of your lineup. We still generated things… maybe there’s a finishing play that we’re not going to get, another pass maybe… we had a lot of shots blocked.

“We’re going to have enough good players in our lineup that we’re going to have an expectation.”

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait