Golden opportunity for Jets blue-liner Stanley

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This article was published 24/04/2023 (870 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One person’s bad luck is another’s golden opportunity. Perhaps that’s no truer than when it comes to injuries in professional sports.

With Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey ruled out for the remainder of their first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Logan Stanley has been sprung into action. Stanley suited up with the third pairing, playing alongside Nate Schmidt for Game 4 Monday night.

“It’s heartbreaking, especially seeing him after in the room. You just want to give him a hug and tell him everything is going to be alright,” Stanley told the Free Press following Monday’s morning skate, when asked about Morrissey’s misfortune. “We can’t replace Josh, but we can try as a group to do the best we can to eat up those minutes. It’s going to take all six of us on defence.”

It’s been a wild ride for Stanley this season, one filled with injuries and time as a healthy scratch when he couldn’t crack the game-day roster down the stretch. The 6-7, 242-pound blue-liner was limited to just 19 regular-season games, finishing with one goal and two assists and was a minus-1.

Stanley played in the regular-season finale against the Colorado Avalanche on Apr. 13, in what was his first game in two weeks. Though he might be a bit rusty, Stanley said he felt ready and prepared to jump back in, especially given the playoff atmosphere, which can get the blood going and the adrenaline pumping.

“The regular season was a rollercoaster for me, especially with the injuries, so it’s been a tough year in that way,” Stanley said. “Watching the first three playoff games, you realize how intense the series is and you’re sitting there itching to play. These are the games you want to play in, and I’m really excited to get in there.”

Jets head coach Rick Bowness opted to dress Stanley over Kyle Capobianco. Whether Stanley stays in the lineup is still to be determined.

“We just need him to go out and use his size, make the simple play with the puck, take care of our zone. That’s his strength,” Bowness said. “Be a disciplined guy that takes care of our zone. This team is very good on the rush. He can defend the rush. So, we’re just asking them to go out there and play their game.”

EHLERS UPDATE: Nikolaj Ehlers was once again ruled out of action, marking a fifth straight game and fourth consecutive playoff tilt he’s been out since suffering an upper-body injury in the second-last game of the regular season.

Ehlers skated on Sunday, much like he has all week, but has still not been cleared to play by team doctors. David Gustafsson has been the one to draw into the lineup with the extra spot open, but on Monday it was Axel Jonsson-Fjallby who got the nod, taking over Gustafsson’s place on the fourth line.

RITTICH OUT, HOLM IN: The Jets were without No. 2 goalie David Rittich for Game 4, forcing a last-minute recall from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Arvid Holm was assigned to the Jets and backed up Connor Hellebuyck for the pivotal affair in the best-of-seven series, as Rittich nursed a minor lower-body injury.

“We fully expect him to back up on Thursday (for Game 5),” Bowness said.

HOME SWEET HOME: Few in the NHL speak as openly and as passionately as Golden Knights forward and Winnipeg native Keegan Kolesar.

The 26-year-old was asked about returning to the city he grew up in, to play against his hometown Jets and what that meant to him. It wasn’t the power of the whiteout, despite an impressive scene in Game 3, that made it the most special. Instead, the highlight is playing in front of two of his biggest fans.

“I get to play in front of my grandparents, (Nick and Barb Cornett),” Kolesar told the Free Press, while clearly wearing his heart on his sleeve. “I can’t thank those people enough in my life. They’ve helped me out every step of the way. Gets me emotional sometimes thinking about them. Whenever I get the chance to be home and play in front of them, it means a lot more to me than anything else.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton