2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Round 2: Three Storylines Heading into Game 2 of Jets vs. Canadiens

By Thomas Hall
2 years agoAfter falling 5-3 to the Montreal Canadiens in Game One of this second-round series, the Winnipeg Jets are hoping to bounce back strong in Game Two as they attempt to tie things up at one game apiece, although accomplishing that feat certainly won’t be easy.
Following a brutal hit on forward @Jake Evans, @Mark Scheifele earned himself a four-game suspension and will be sidelined until Game Six, if this series reaches that far. Unfortunately for Winnipeg, his departure leaves a massive void at the top of their lineup and it’ll likely be extremely difficult to fill that loss, meaning someone will need to step up Friday night or this team could find themselves trailing 2-0 heading into the weekend.
Here are three storylines that could impact the second game of this playoff series between the Jets and Canadiens:
1. Paul Stastny Considered GTD, Likely to Return
While Scheifele won’t be appearing in the next four games, veteran @Paul Stastny, who missed Game One due to an undisclosed injury, could return to the lineup for the second game of this series against the Canadiens. After participating in the Jets’ optional skate Friday, coach Paul Maurice announced the 35-year-old is currently considered a game-time decision, however, it seems there’s a very strong chance he’ll make his return.
If Stastny does indeed suit up for Game Two, it’s unclear as to where he’ll be positioned, but as of now, most signs are pointing to him skating alongside teammates @Kyle Connor and @Blake Wheeler on the top line. That being said, it’s also possible the veteran center could return to the second line, which would allow forward @Pierre-Luc Dubois to center the club’s first line.
2. Dylan DeMelo Sidelined For Extended Time
Adding to Winnipeg’s difficult challenge, they’ll be without defenseman @Dylan DeMelo, who left Game One and didn’t return following a 29-second shift, for the foreseeable future and will need to locate his injury replacement on the top defensive pairing. Though that remains a mystery right now, defenseman @Neal Pionk briefly played alongside teammate @Josh Morrissey towards the end of the regular season and reuniting this duo could become a possibility for Maurice and the coaching staff.
As an alternative option, veteran @Tucker Poolman played several games on the top pairing earlier this season and could return to that role if needed, which would allow Pionk and @Derek Forbort to remain together on the second pairing. Regardless of who skates alongside Morrissey, it’ll be crucial for the entire blue line to perform much more effectively this time around, particularly in the defensive zone and directly in front of goaltender @Connor Hellebuyck.
3. Overcoming First-Period Adversities
Considering the Jets came out extremely rusty in the opening frame of Game One, where they allowed three goals and were largely out played throughout the first 20 minutes, they’ll need to find a way to set the tone early on in Game Two and prevent those same woes from occurring once again. In particular, this team must dramatically improve during five-on-five situations, as they were out shot 11-4 in the first period of last game, and will also need to exit the defensive zone much more effectively this time around.
Since Montreal’s skaters came out firing on all cylinders last time out, it should be assumed they’ll be aiming to replicate that type of performance and it’ll be crucial for Winnipeg to match that same intensity out of the gate. Though this team won’t be playing at full strength, they’ve been forced to overcome challenging obstacles all season long and this postseason hasn’t been any different, meaning they’re fully capable of proving people wrong yet again.
Lineups:
Winnipeg Jets:
LW | C | RW |
---|---|---|
![]() KYLE CONNOR Rating: 79.5#5 LW | ![]() PAUL STASTNY Rating: 74.8#36 C | ![]() BLAKE WHEELER Rating: 76.3#22 RW |
![]() ANDREW COPP Rating: 72.5#60 LW | ![]() PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS Rating: 74.6#38 C | ![]() NIKOLAJ EHLERS Rating: 75.7#20 RW |
![]() MATHIEU PERREAULT Rating: 71.1#96 LW | ![]() ADAM LOWRY Rating: 69.2#149 C | ![]() MASON APPLETON Rating: 69.5#123 RW |
![]() DOMINIC TONINATO Rating: 68.7#158 LW | ![]() NATE THOMPSON Rating: 69.4#145 C | ![]() TREVOR LEWIS Rating: 70.1#114 RW |
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
---|---|
![]() JOSH MORRISSEY Rating: 74.1#29 LD | ![]() TUCKER POOLMAN Rating: 71.6#74 RD |
![]() DEREK FORBORT Rating: 70.5#109 LD | ![]() NEAL PIONK Rating: 75.3#20 RD |
![]() LOGAN STANLEY | ![]() JORDIE BENN Rating: 70.9#101 RD |
Montreal Canadiens:
LW | C | RW |
---|---|---|
![]() JAKE EVANS | ![]() PHILLIP DANAULT Rating: 75.5#29 C | ![]() BRENDAN GALLAGHER Rating: 78.3#7 RW |
![]() TYLER TOFFOLI Rating: 75.9#25 LW | ![]() NICK SUZUKI | ![]() COLE CAUFIELD |
![]() PAUL BYRON Rating: 71.8#78 LW | ![]() JESPERI KOTKANIEMI | ![]() JOSH ANDERSON Rating: 73.4#42 RW |
![]() COREY PERRY Rating: 70.8#101 LW | ![]() ERIC STAAL Rating: 74.2#45 C | ![]() JOEL ARMIA Rating: 73.1#54 RW |
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
---|---|
![]() BEN CHIAROT Rating: 73.8#38 LD | ![]() SHEA WEBER Rating: 76.5#15 RD |
![]() JOEL EDMUNDSON Rating: 73.8#39 LD | ![]() JEFF PETRY Rating: 76.7#13 RD |
![]() BRETT KULAK Rating: 73.4#46 LD | ![]() ERIK GUSTAFSSON Rating: 72.9#43 RD |
Where to Watch/Listen:
The puck will drop at 6:30 pm CT – don’t be late – and be available on CBC/SN along with 680 CJOB.
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