Things have gone from bad to worse for the Winnipeg Jets, as the team - already playing without forward Nikolaj Ehlers - not only lost Game 3 to the Vegas Golden Knights, but also all-star defenceman Josh Morrissey to a lower-body injury.
Morrissey's injury occurred on his first shift of the game when he ran into Golden Knights defenceman Zach Whitecloud. His right knee collided with Whitecloud's left and Morrissey staggered to the bench.
But with the Jets on an early-period power play, the team's No. 1 blueliner gave it a go. He lasted just a handful of seconds before leaving the ice and heading directly down the tunnel.
This time, he did not return.
"Very unfortunate to lose Mo," Jets head coach Rick Bowness said post-game. "He’s got a lower-body injury and he’s done for the series, so we don’t have to talk about that every day."
Morrissey finished the game with just 74 seconds to his name.
Despite not immediately knowing the severity of Morrissey's setback, Bowness did say there would be a re-assessment period.
"He’s got a lower body and he’s done for the series. Now, when we get into next week, I’ll be able to give you a better answer. I just know he’s done for the series."
Winnipeg relied on Neal Pionk (offensively) and Dylan DeMelo (defensively) to fill the minutes opened up by Morrissey's early departure. Pionk finished the night with a game-high 41:08, while DeMelo played 36:31.
"We played all year long with a lot of injuries; every team does and it’s next man up," Bowness added. "He’s a top-five D in this league right now. He plays all the important minutes and he’s a guy that drives the offence. It’s a big hole, but we played the rest of the game without him and scored four, so we’re going to have to find a way to play the rest of the series without him because this series is far from over."
Now down two-games-to-one in the best-of-seven series, Winnipeg will need to look elsewhere for its offence as Morrissey joins the growing list of injured scorers currently on the shelf.
Cole Perfetti and Nikolaj Ehlers continue to work their way back from various setbacks and should be available to the Jets soon, likely earlier than that of Morrissey's return.
Next up is Game 4, set to go from Canada Life Centre at 8:30 PM central time on Monday night. The game can be viewed live on Sportsnet.