Morrissey dodges bullet, back on the blue line

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This article was published 26/01/2024 (646 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Josh Morrissey figures he dodged a bullet.

The Winnipeg Jets defenceman knows all too well just how dangerous a puck to the groin can be, given it was his slapper that ruptured the testicle of teammate Blake Wheeler last season.

So, when a hard drive caught him below the belt Wednesday night in Toronto, there was immediate concern about just how serious things might be — along with a frightening flashback to the friendly-fire incident.

“It did cross my mind, for sure,” said Morrissey, who left the game in the first period and didn’t return. “I don’t know if that’s the universe and karma or what.”

Fortunately for Morrissey and the Jets, no serious damage was done and he was a full participant in Friday’s practice. He expects to be in the lineup on Saturday night as the Jets (30-11-5) try to avenge the 1-0 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs (24-14-8) in a rematch at Canada Life Centre. (6 p.m., Sportsnet).

“Obviously it’s an uncomfortable place to get hit for a guy,” said Morrissey, who has 33 points through 46 games this year. “At the end of the day, the medical team does a great job. Thankfully, I got all cleared and am feeling great and ready to roll.”

The Jets received some other good news as they head into their final game before a league-mandated player break and all-star break. Forward Gabe Vilardi, who missed the last two contests with a lower-body injury, is optimistic he can be in the lineup.

“Came up during the Ottawa game (last Saturday). Just everyone’s got different things that they have to manage throughout the year. Just kind of tweaked something and gotta take care of those types of things,” said Vilardi, who also missed 16 games earlier this year with a knee injury.

“You don’t want a weeklong thing to be a monthlong thing or rest-of-the-season kind of thing. It’s just be a little smarter about that, I think.”

Jets’ leading scorer Mark Scheifele (41 points in 41 games), who has missed the last five games with a suspected groin injury, also skated and was doing line rushes with Vilardi and Kyle Connor. However, when time came to work on the power play, Scheifele was a spectator on the bench.

“We’ve got a break coming up. Give him (Scheifele) that extra time. If he needs it, he needs it.”–Head coach Rick Bowness

“He just felt it was bothering him. Still a little bit there. It needs a little more time,” said head coach Rick Bowness. “Did he make it worse in practice? No. But it’s still there. We’ve got a break coming up. Give him that extra time. If he needs it, he needs it.”

Translation: Scheifele will not play Saturday, remaining on injured reserve along with forward David Gustafsson, who has been out since late December but is also nearing a return. That will mean nobody on the active roster has to be placed on waivers just yet to make room for them.

Vilardi, who has 20 points in 26 games, said there is growing excitement over how good a 100 per cent healthy Jets team could be.

“Obviously, we haven’t had a full, healthy roster, I don’t think, since the first few games of the season,” he said. “The good thing about having the depth we have is guys are interchangeable, and you look at our lineup. Anybody can play anywhere.”

After facing the Maple Leafs, the Jets will part ways for seven days. They’ll hit the ice Sunday and Monday for practices, then face the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Bowness will be looking to find a bit more offence out of his group, which went 1-1-1 on the road trip but only scored three goals against the Senators, Boston Bruins and Maple Leafs. Missing Scheifele for all three, Vilardi for two and Morrissey for most of one didn’t help, of course.

“We had lots of good looks and he (Samsonov) made lots of good saves. Hopefully those go in for us (Saturday) night.”–Josh Morrissey

“We went over it (Friday) morning with them. In Toronto, specifically in Toronto… we didn’t play well at all in the first two periods of Boston, so you don’t worry about that, that was just bad hockey… but in Toronto, there were offensive plays that we could have made but we didn’t. So that’s on us,” said Bowness.

“It wasn’t so much what Toronto was doing. We made bad decisions with the puck. So, we cleaned that up in video. We addressed it on the ice in practice. We created enough chances to score, obviously, one or two goals, but we still left offensive opportunities out there that we didn’t make the right play.”

Although goalie Ilya Samsonov was sensational in stopping all 32 shots he faced, Morrissey thinks the Jets could do more to make his life miserable.

“The biggest cliché I suppose is the goalie can’t stop what he can’t see. So get in front of him and make it harder for him to see some pucks from distance,” he said.

“Those second and third opportunities around the net, winning those little battles, goals that are scored the dirty way, I suppose, the greasy way in front of the net. We had lots of good looks and he made lots of good saves. Hopefully those go in for us (Saturday) night.”

Samsonov will be in net once again, while the Jets will counter with their all-star starter Connor Hellebuyck.

 

No contract? No problem

Bowness, who celebrated his 69th birthday on Thursday, was asked about his contract status. He signed a two-year deal in the summer of 2022, although there is reportedly a club option for a third year.

“I think the last time I thought about my contract was the day I signed it. I’m not worried about it,” said Bowness, who joked his only concern is “tomorrow.”

“It’s like I told the players last year. I’m not here trying to extend my career or go somewhere else. I’m not worried about that stuff anymore. I’m good.”

That said, Bowness admits he’s not viewing this season as a potential swan song given how much fun he’s having.

“Absolutely. It’s a great group. I love working with these guys. They’re good guys and their hearts are in the right place,” he said

“They’re committed. You challenge them after the Boston game? They respond. They responded going into the third period and they responded going into Toronto. So yeah. We’ve got a good rapport and I’m having fun with it. Absolutely.”

Bowness is headed to his first-ever all-star game next weekend as one of the four coaches selected based on having the best divisional winning percentage.

“I know with my age, I get it. But like I told Judy (his wife), as long as we still love it. And I still love coming to the rink, I still love the challenges of dealing with you guys,” he said.

“I still love the game. The game’s on the line in the third period? I love that stuff. That’s the exciting part. Where we are in the standings, that gets the adrenaline going, so yeah. I’ve got lots to give yet.”

 

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg