Jets forward Vilardi hopes to 'make a big impact' in Game 5 return against Blues

Judy Owen · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 29, 2025 5:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Gabriel Vilardi doesn't expect to swoop successful and prevention the time for the struggling Winnipeg Jets.

He does, though, anticipation to "make a large impact" for the squad erstwhile helium returns from wounded successful Wednesday's captious Game 5 playoff lucifer against the St. Louis Blues.

"I'm not going to beryllium Superman oregon thing similar that," Vilardi said. "I'm conscionable going to spell play and hopefully I tin assistance those 2 retired and assistance the squad out."

"Those two" refers to centre Mark Scheifele and left-winger Kyle Connor, the top-line duo Vilardi rejoins for the archetypal clip since suffering an undisclosed upper-body wounded connected March 23.

"We cognize what helium means to this team, means to our line," Connor said. "It's precise encouraging getting a feline similar that back. We cognize what benignant of crippled helium brings, truthful it's large for us."

Vilardi, from Kingston, Ont., registered vocation highs for goals (27) and assists (34) successful the regular season, giving him 61 points successful 71 games.

He missed the past 11 regular-season games and the archetypal 4 of Winnipeg's Western Conference best-of-seven opening circular with the Blues.

The Presidents' Trophy-winning Jets won the archetypal 2 playoff games astatine home, past got outscored 12-3 successful a brace of losses successful St. Louis.

Vilardi returns to his mean roles and won't beryllium intimately monitored, Jets caput manager Scott Arniel said.

"It's greenish airy now," Arniel said. "There's nary holding back. This is playoff hockey. There's nary [wading] his mode in."

He anticipates Vilardi volition set to the transition.

"First mates of shifts, he's going to person to get up to speed," Arniel said. "It's going to beryllium a heck of a batch faster present than it was erstwhile helium near us, but I've got each the confidence, arsenic I watched him the past fewer days successful practice, that he'll beryllium each right."

Vilardi volition beryllium backmost connected the apical power-play unit, wherever the six-foot-three seasoned excelled during the regular play with a team-best 12 goals.

Winnipeg has faltered successful that country during the bid with the Blues.

The Jets are 2-for-12 with the antheral vantage aft starring the league during the regular play (28.9 per cent). The Blues person gone 6-for-18 successful the 4 contests.

"We cognize astir the net, he's tipped countless goals passim his career and this year, truthful it's a immense vantage for america to person him back," Connor said of Vilardi's power-play prowess.

"He's a large portion of what we've talked astir each year — not being a one-trick pony connected the powerfulness play, being capable to people and being beauteous dynamic from each implicit the place. He conscionable adds different constituent for them to beryllium alert of."

Arniel has adjusted each enactment with Vilardi's return, including moving guardant Alex Iafallo from the apical enactment to the 2nd 1 with Cole Perfetti and centre Vladislav Namestnikov.

Hopeful sign

Jets guardant Nikolaj Ehlers skated with the club's spot and conditioning manager up of Tuesday's practice, thing helium besides did erstwhile the squad was connected the road, Arniel said.

Ehlers volition commencement practising connected Wednesday successful a yellowish non-contact jersey, Arniel said.

The speedy winger reaggravated an earlier lower-body wounded erstwhile helium got tangled up with a linesman during Winnipeg's April 12 crippled against Chicago.

Blues caput manager Jim Montgomery was sporting a bandage connected his near feature aft taking a puck to his look during a drill astatine Tuesday's signifier successful St. Louis.

"I was telling the players it's not hard to container guys out," Montgomery told reporters. "I was boxing the feline that was driving the nett retired and [forward Pavel Buchnevich] took a slap shot.

"I heard it deed the crossbar, I went similar this [turned head] and it came close disconnected the crossbar. It's conscionable making maine consciousness similar I'm a subordinate successful the playoffs, not a coach."