Vilardi could return to Jets lineup Sunday

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/04/2025 (210 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. LOUIS – Adam Lowry was standing in a hallway in the bowels of the St. Louis Blues practice rink, surrounded by a group of reporters who were taking his temperature two days after the Winnipeg Jets had been thumped 7-2 in Game 3.

If you thought the captain of the Jets would still be rattled after the lopsided defeat, you came to the wrong place.

Sour about the lopsided loss?

Certainly, but he kept those emotions to himself and was the picture of calm, buoyed by the way the Jets have responded to various challenges this season.

“We’ve done a really good job of bouncing back after games we don’t like, coming back with a much better effort, dialing back into details and things like that,” said Lowry. “The belief in this group is in the way we defend, the structure we have. We don’t have a record like we do without being able to bounce back, without coming into big games and rising to the occasion. I think there’s been a lot of times this year where we had an effort we didn’t like and the next game was one of our best games. I expect nothing different tomorrow.”

The Jets hold a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-seven battle between Central Division rivals, with puck drop for Game 4 on Sunday scheduled for noon CT before the series shifts to Winnipeg on Wednesday.

A slow start was a big factor in Game 3 as the Blues scored twice in the opening 3:11 of action and built a 3-0 lead before the first period was over.

“The biggest thing for me looking at the tape is being a lot faster,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “Being a lot faster going back to get pucks, breaking out, our forecheck. We were a step behind St. Louis we really felt like for most of that first period. When we were doing things at a higher pace, a higher tempo, we end up changing the momentum of the game. They were doing that to us, it seemed like, more than us doing it to them.”

The Blues made some subtle adjustments that seemed to bring results, so now it’s time to see if the Jets can follow suit.

“You’re always trying to find something that might work in tomorrow’s game that maybe you didn’t try earlier,” said Arniel. “There are other things too, that maybe were working in Game 1 or 2, but now they’ve adjusted to, so maybe you have to do things on the fly or prior to. That’s all part of the chess match that happens. I think both teams will look to do things and get an edge. They had it the other night. Now we have to make sure we have the next one.”

To that end, the Jets made a couple of tweaks to their line combinations on Saturday, promoting Morgan Barron to the third line with Lowry and Mason Appleton, while shifting Brandon Tanev down on the fourth line with Jaret Anderson-Dolan and David Gustafsson, who slid back into the middle.

Should those lines stay the same, Barron knows what is required of him.

“They have an identity. You guys know it, I know it. You can kind of see the way they want to play,” said Barron, who has two assists through three games. “To me, it’s just jumping in and being a part of that. It’s being heavy, being physical. You never know what matchups you’re going to get on the road, especially, but it’s a line that plays against the other team’s top line at times, and pretty much right down the lineup.

“So I’ll just try to go out and do what I know I can do, bring speed, and be physical, and hopefully get in on the forecheck and create a bit more zone time for us.”

The other development on Saturday was that forward Gabe Vilardi finally shed his yellow non-contact jersey and was a full participant for the first time with the full group since suffering an upper-body injury on Mar. 23 in a game against the Buffalo Sabres.

Although Vilardi didn’t take many line rushes, he did see some reps with both the first and second units on the power play, prompting Arniel to be encouraged by what he saw.

“Game-time decision now,” said Arniel. “He’s got the (non-contact) jersey off. Lots of good things today.”

Should Vilardi be ready to return, it will be interesting to see where he slots in and how much ice time he could handle.

“He’s a power forward with great skill,” said Arniel. “He helps us in the offensive zone and helps us on the power play.”

With another two-day break coming after Game 4, Vilardi would have a few extra days to gear up for Game 5 on Wednesday, where the Jets can dictate the matchups since they have the last change.

But Arniel wasn’t ready to rule him out from playing on Sunday – and it wasn’t because he was trying to keep the opposition guessing.

“I haven’t talked yet (to the medical staff) on what happened today,” said Arniel. “There is a possibility for him tomorrow. I’m not hiding, I’m just telling you, he’s got that yellow jersey off, so he now becomes a game-time decision.”

After missing Game 3 due to illness, all signs point to Dylan DeMelo being back on the top pairing with Josh Morrissey on Sunday afternoon.

Whether Vilardi plays or not, the Jets will be looking to earn a split on the road, which would push the Blues to the brink of elimination.

“We all knew we probably weren’t going to win all 16 in a row, and it was going to be a breeze.”–Morgan Barron

“We all knew we probably weren’t going to win all 16 in a row, and it was going to be a breeze, so it was a good chance for us to reset,” said Barron. “We are playing a good team here that has won (13) in a row at home. It is obviously a great challenge and a tough building to play in, but I think it is something we can embrace.

“It is a great opportunity for us.”

The Blues skated earlier in the day and based on their line rushes, it looks like Mathieu Joseph might return to the lineup for the first time since the series opener.

Joseph would push Alexandre Texier to the sidelines after he made his series debut in Game 3.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld