Winnipeg Jets Color Analyst Mitchell Clinton tweeted that Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov has a fractured left cheekbone and will travel back to Winnipeg today. Clinton’s comments come from a conversation with Jets head coach Rick Bowness who wouldn’t rule Namestnikov out for game 5 tomorrow night.
Namestnikov was sent to hospital last night after he took a slapshot from Nate Schmidt to the side of the head near the end of Winnipeg’s 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The 31-year-old stayed on the ice for a minute before putting a towel on his head and skating off the ice with the trainer’s assistance. Namestnikov then went straight to the dressing room and eventually the hospital.
Winnipeg faces elimination tomorrow night and will likely provide an update on Namestnikov’s availability at some point tomorrow.
In other Winnipeg Jets notes:
- Winnipeg defenseman Brenden Dillon will not play in game 5 because of the cut on his left hand (via TSN’s John Lu). Dillon cut his hand in game 3 after the final whistle when he was involved in a scrum with some Avalanche players. One of the other player’s skates hit Dillon’s hand and cut it, forcing him to quickly leave the ice to seek medical attention for his hand. The 33-year-old will likely remain day-to-day and will be re-evaluated should the Jets force a game 6 later this week.
- Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press reports that Jets’ forward Morgan Barron won’t be available for tomorrow night’s game 5. Barron continues to be out of the lineup with a lower-body injury and has not skated yet. The 25-year-old center will miss his sixth straight game after being hurt in a game against the Seattle Kraken on April 16th. Barron posted 11 goals and seven assists this season in 80 games and provided the Jets bottom six with a physicality that has been missing through their first-round series against the Avalanche.