Mark Scheifele (undisclosed) won’t play in Game 7 for the Winnipeg Jets against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, according to Mitchell Clinton of the Jets’ official site.
Scheifele will miss his second straight game and will need his teammates to win to give him a chance to return this postseason. He has generated two goals, four assists, six shots on net, three blocked shots and nine hits through five appearances during Winnipeg’s first-round series versus the Blues. Due to Scheifele’s absence, Vladislav Namestnikov will remain on the team’s top line for Sunday’s matchup.
Here is other Winnipeg Jets news you need to know today:
Logan Stanley Not Expected to Play
Logan Stanley (undisclosed) isn’t expected to play in Game 7 against St. Louis on Sunday, per Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press.
Stanley didn’t participate in Sunday’s morning skate. He hasn’t earned a point in five outings this postseason while contributing one shot on goal, six blocked shots, 10 hits and 42 PIM. Due to Stanley’s absence, Haydn Fleury will likely be in the lineup for Sunday’s winner-take-all matchup versus the Blues.
Connor Hellebuyck In Goal for Game 7
Dilip Vishwanat/GettyConnor Hellebuyck will be in goal for the Jets in Game 7 against the Blues, despite his struggles.
Connor Hellebuyck will patrol the home crease against St. Louis on Sunday in Game 7, per Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press.
Hellebuyck allowed five goals on 23 shots in Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Blues in Game 6 before Eric Comrie entered the contest in the third period. The 31-year-old Hellebuyck has a dismal 4.42 GAA and a troubling .815 save percentage through six starts this postseason. However, he has won his last three outings in Winnipeg, as the home team has taken every game in the series. The winner of Sunday’s matchup will face Dallas in the second round.
The first half of the game made it seem as if Hellebuyck had moved past his road woes. That illusion came crashing down when the Blues tallied four times in a span of 5:23 after the midway mark of the second period. Hellebuyck allowed 16 goals on 66 shots over three contests in St. Louis during this series, and he was pulled from all of those games. Luckily for him, Game 7 on Sunday is on home ice, where he’s been noticeably better at 3-0 with seven goals allowed on 58 shots in the first round.
Eric Comrie stopped all four shots he faced in relief of Hellebuyck in the loss.
This was Comrie’s third relief appearance in the postseason. He’s allowed just one goal on 13 shots over those three outings, which total 42:59 of ice time.
Mason Appleton Stays Warm With Power-Play Helper
Mason Appleton notched a power-play assist and two PIM in Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Blues in Game 6.
Appleton has been a big playmaker in the first round, earning six assists, including two on the power play, over his last six games. The 29-year-old forward has added a plus-4 rating, seven shots on net, 13 hits and three blocked shots. Appleton remains in a third-line role, but he’s in little danger of moving down the lineup as long as his offense stays strong.
Nino Niederreiter Buries Power-Play Goal in Loss
Niederreiter scored a power-play goal, added six PIM, logged two hits and went minus-2 in Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Blues in Game 6.
Niederreiter has three points over his last two games after opening the series scoreless in four outings. The 32-year-old winger has added 10 shots on net, 11 hits and a minus-4 rating over six playoff contests. Niederreiter can chip in depth scoring with physicality in a third-line role.
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