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Jets test mettle without Scheifele against Islanders (Dec 29, 2017)
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - The Winnipeg Jets hope a Yogi Berra-ism applies to them after losing No. 1 center Mark Scheifele for six to eight weeks with a serious injury to his right shoulder or arm on Wednesday.
"We have deep depth," the late skipper once said of his New York Yankees.
The depth of the Jets' roster will be severely tested in the aftermath of the 24-year-old Scheifele falling awkwardly into the end boards halfway through their 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Coach Paul Maurice said his presence will be especially missed five-on-five when matching up against the opposition's top line and also on the power play.
But Maurice is confident that if any player was ever going to make it back on schedule -- or even ahead of it -- it's the man his teammates call "Nickels." (His jersey number is 55.)
"It's going to be a real, real difficult thing for him to go through," Maurice said. "I know he will be back the day his body is ready to be back because his diet is going to be perfect, his off-ice training is going to perfect and he comes into the injury as a very, very fit man. So he gives himself the best chance (to come back), but it's going to be very tough for him. He's going to have a real difficult time."
Scheifele picked up an assist shortly before his injury, giving him 23 for the season and 38 points in 38 games, good for second on the team.
With forwards Shawn Matthias and Marko Dano growing roots in the press box for the last couple months, there was widespread speculation that the Jets would call up Jack Roslovic -- the AHL's second-leading scorer this season -- from the Manitoba Moose, but both Black Aces took turns on the fourth line at practice Thursday.
The New York Islanders come to town on a two-game winning streak that started before the Christmas break with a 5-2 home victory over the Jets in which they took a 2-0 lead before the game was three minutes old and were never threatened. They followed that with a 3-2 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday.
The Islanders were less than a minute from losing in regulation when right winger Josh Bailey took a shot that was stopped by Robin Lehner, but after review it was determined the goalie's glove was behind the goal line when he caught it.
Then, just 68 seconds into overtime, rookie center Mathew Barzal beat Lehner cleanly.
"I'm just elated that we got two points," New York coach Doug Weight told a media scrum afterward.
The Islanders are in the thick of the Metropolitan Division race, holding down the second wild-card spot with 44 points, but they're just three points out of second place.
If the Islanders' play thus far this season is any indication, the Jets could be in for a second consecutive track meet. New York has scored the second-most goals in the NHL while giving up the most.
