Injury questions hang over both teams as Winnipeg Jets prepare to meet Dallas Stars in Round 2

Judy Owen · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 06, 2025 11:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey were noticeable astatine the Winnipeg Jets' optional skate connected Tuesday, but not successful a truly large way.

The 2 injured stars were wearing non-contact yellowish jerseys and are questionable to play successful Wednesday's second-round playoff opener against the Dallas Stars — the archetypal clip the teams volition conscionable successful the NHL post-season.

"We'll spell time to time here," said Jets caput manager Scott Arniel. "We'll spot wherever they're astatine for (Wednesday).

Scheifele was injured successful Game 5 against the St. Louis Blues, a bid the Jets won with a thrilling 4-3 double-overtime triumph connected Sunday.

The top-line centre has been skating and participated successful Tuesday's signifier successful a constricted way.

Arniel was including defenceman Logan Stanley successful his presumption update, who was besides wearing a yellowish jersey. He and seasoned blueliner Morrissey were some injured successful Game 7 and lone skated up of the practice.

Dallas, which defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 successful Game 7 past Saturday, is besides dealing with immoderate wounded question marks for the archetypal crippled of the Western Conference clash.

Forward Jason Robertson, who led the Stars with 35 goals, missed the archetypal circular due to the fact that of a lower-body wounded suffered successful the team's last regular-season game.

He had a afloat signifier with the Stars connected Tuesday successful Dallas. Head manager Pete DeBoer told reporters "he's close" to returning to crippled action.

It was a akin advancement study for defenceman Miro Heiskanen, who had genu country successful aboriginal February but is besides practising.

"We don't person to play him 26 minutes and that wouldn't beryllium the plan," DeBoer said of Heiskanen.

The Jets earned home-ice vantage passim the playoffs aft finishing archetypal successful the league with a Presidents' Trophy-winning 116 regular-season points. Game 2 is Friday.

Dallas finished 2nd successful the Central Division and 3rd successful the league with 106 points.

The Jets won 3 of 4 games against the Stars during the regular season, including a 4-0 shutout connected April 10 erstwhile the clubs were vying for apical spot successful the division.

Jets winger Kyle Connor and Stars guardant Mikko Rantanen some person 12 playoff points heading into the series.

Rantanen scored a third-period chapeau instrumentality successful his team's series-clinching triumph implicit Colorado.

"They're a heck of a team," Jets defenceman Neal Pionk said of the Stars. "Really well-structured, truly choky checking and they person a batch of skill, too. So that's what we're prepared for this series."

Winnipeg's bid against St. Louis finished with 623 combined hits. The Jets dished retired 322 of them.

Dallas and Colorado combined for 492 hits successful their series, with the Avalanche throwing 284.

Arniel said the Stars are a large squad and it's "wait and see" astir however carnal the games volition be.

"Each series, each squad benignant of takes connected its ain life," helium said. "They got 3 lines, existent coagulated lines offensively. They tin bash things, obviously, defensively well.

"So I deliberation that it's a antithetic benignant of look to what we conscionable saw. But yeah, we cognize these guys. They've been blistery connected our process each twelvemonth long, truthful it's a large matchup."

DeBoer has said Winnipeg's antiaircraft spot volition beryllium a focus.

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck claimed a 2nd consecutive William M. Jennings Trophy this play arsenic the goaltender who played a minimum of 25 games for the squad that allowed the fewest goals against (2.32 average) successful the league.

Hellebuyck finished the St. Louis bid with a subpar .830 prevention percent and 3.85 goals-against average. Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger had a .911 prevention percent and 2.85 goals-against mean against Colorado.