Perreault looks ready to go
Hot-shot winger to find out today if he's playing
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/01/2015 (3937 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
PITTSBURGH — Mathieu Perreault was back at his post Monday flanking the left side of Mark Scheifele and Michael Frolik and taking turns on the power play.
But now the lingering question as the Winnipeg Jets prepare to resume action after the All-Star Game festivities Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins:
Can the slick left-winger rediscover the scoring touch that made him one of the NHL’s hottest players prior to the vicious cross-check from the Blackhawks’ Daniel Carcillo back on Jan. 16?
“I hope so. Obviously. I was on a bit of a streak and was playing well,” said Perreault after Monday’s practice in suburban Pittsburgh. “Hopefully this seven to 10 days I had off won’t hurt too much and I’ll be able to go back to like I was.”
Perreault was on a scorching run prior to the cross-check, potting six goals in six games including his four-goal effort against the Florida Panthers. He did not score a single goal in his first 19 appearances as a Jet, but has 15 in his last 26.
The cross-check left his left arm bruised and there was some pain in the ligament. But it also could have been worse.
“The two days we had off helped a lot,” said Perreault. “(The cross-check) is what it is. It was a little vicious and the league took care of it. My end… there’s nothing I can do. Thankfully it didn’t hurt too bad so it is what it is.”
Jets coach Paul Maurice wouldn’t confirm Perreault’s return just yet — they’ll play it cautiously until they see how he feels in Tuesday’s game-day skate — and was straightforward when asked what the club missed in his absence.
“The offence that line generates looks different (when he’s not there),” said Maurice. “He plays an important role on our power-play, even though I didn’t mind what the power-play was trying to do. It wasn’t as effective when he’s not there. Other than that, for a guy that’s not that big, he brings a lot of energy. He finishes checks, he’s on the puck, competing at a really high level and that’s infectious. Good player.
“We missed him but we had good players step in. We had Evander (Kane) step in and have a couple of goals and we needed him to. (Chris) Thorburn came in and that line looked real strong last game.”
For what it’s worth, with Perreault back with Scheifele and Frolik, Monday’s practice also featured Kane working with forwards Adam Lowry and Chris Thorburn on the right. Forward Matt Halischuk was on the fourth line with Jim Slater and Anthony Peluso.
‘Hopefully this seven to 10 days I had off won’t hurt too much and I’ll be able to go back to like I was’
— Jets winger Mathieu Perreault
Perreault’s return will also mean the Jets are carrying too many bodies and will have to make a roster move.
FYI, defenceman Dustin Byfuglien did not practise but was en route from Columbus to Pittsburgh and is expected in the lineup Tuesday against the Pens.
MR. NERVOUS: Mark Scheifele got to play the role of fan on the weekend at the X Games in Aspen, Colo., watching his girlfriend Dara Howell win a bronze in a slopestyle event. And when an elite athlete is forced to watch, not participate, it can be a little dicey.
“I’m definitely pretty happy for her and proud,” said Scheifele. “Honestly, it was probably the most nerve-wracking thing in my life. I don’t think I ate all day just waiting for it to come. It was definitely pretty fun when it was all said and done and I saw she did well and she was happy. It was a pretty unbelievable experience.
“It’s crazy, especially to see what they do. It’s pretty crazy. I don’t think I could ever do it. The whole event is done really well and the city is unbelievable. It was something I’ve never experienced before and I definitely had a lot of fun.”
BIG APPLE TOURIST: There had been some speculation late last week that Jets goaltender Michael Hutchinson might be added to the All-Star Game roster after the injury to Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The NHL instead summoned Brian Elliott of the St. Louis Blues — who cut short a trip to the Caribbean.
And so Hutchinson headed to New York City.
“I just went with my plans. I was going to New York, so I wasn’t too far away,” he said. “One of my friends that I went (to New York) with was a little more nervous that I was going to get the call or not, because he was going (to New York) either way and he would have been stuck there alone. The next morning, I saw that Brian Elliott got named and he deserves it. He’s had a great start to the season. I was really happy that he got the opportunity.”
ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait
