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

After 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:

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.

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.

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.

The puck will drop at 6:30 pm CT – don’t be late – and be available on CBC/SN along with 680 CJOB.