Jets blue line plus one, minus one

Trouba returns after five-game absence; Byfuglien scratched

By: Mike Sawatzky Posted: 9:49 PM CDT Friday, Mar. 24, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Winnipeg Jets got some desperately needed relief for their battered blue-line corps Friday night with the return of Jacob Trouba (upper body) after a five-game absence.

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Winnipeg Jets got some desperately needed relief for their battered blue-line corps Friday night with the return of Jacob Trouba (upper body) after a five-game absence.

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Winnipeg Jets got some desperately needed relief for their battered blue-line corps Friday night with the return of Jacob Trouba (upper body) after a five-game absence.

While Trouba was back, veteran defenceman Dustin Byfuglien was scratched from the lineup with an unspecified injury prior to the game at the Honda Center against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Jets went instead with a defensive corps of Trouba, Mark Stuart, Josh Morrissey, Brian Strait, Nelson Nogier and Julian Melchiori. The game was in progress at press time.

(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien did not play in Friday's game against the Ducks due to an unspecified injury. — (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien did not play in Friday's game against the Ducks due to an unspecified injury.

Head coach Paul Maurice had said Byfuglien would be a game-time decision after leaving Thursday night’s 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

On the flip side, Morrissey was declared ready to go after leaving Thursday’s game briefly before returning.

The injury-depleted Jets had Nogier, Melchiori and Strait, all recent AHL call-ups, in their lineup Thursday.

Veteran blue-liners Toby Enstrom (upper body) and Ben Chiarot (upper body) remain sidelined.

With the unsettled lineup situation, the Jets recalled defenceman Brenden Kichton, a 24-year-old native of Spruce Grove, Alta., from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose on an emergency basis and the fourth-year pro arrived in time to make his NHL debut, but did not play.

“We got a report on him,” Maurice said of Kichton. “They decided that he was the right guy to call up.”

Kichton was chosen by the Jets in the seventh round (190th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft. In 54 games with the Moose this season, Kichton has no goals, 18 assists and 54 penalty minutes.

Goaltender Michael Hutchinson got the start Friday for the Jets.

Winnipeg surrendered three power-play goals and one while short-handed with Connor Hellebuyck in net for the loss to the Kings.

“We dealt with that this morning and we’ve got to get better at the things we weren’t good at (Thursday) night to beat this team,” Maurice said. “It’s a very similar game, they’re really hard on pucks, but they’ve probably got an element of speed we didn’t see (Thursday).”

The Jets also transferred forward Brandon Tanev from an emergency recall to a regular recall.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @sawa14