Winnipeg's Josh Morrissey remains sidelined as teammate Nino Niederreiter struggles to find the scoresheet, leaving Jets fans wanting more from their Olympic representatives.
The Winnipeg Jets may be on hiatus for the Winter Olympics, but two of their players found themselves in the spotlight Friday as Canada faced Switzerland in round-robin action.
Heading into the tournament, Jets fans were eager for a potential showdown between defenseman Josh Morrissey, representing Team Canada, and Swiss forward Nino Niederreiter, skating for Switzerland. The anticipated reunion, however, did not fully materialize.
Morrissey was sidelined midway through Canada’s game against Czechia on Thursday after appearing to bump knees with a Czech player. The veteran blueliner skated away from the collision gingerly and attempted to push through the discomfort, returning for one shift in the second period.
He ultimately left the game and did not return, casting doubt over his availability moving forward. That left Niederreiter as the lone Jets representative front and center in Friday’s matchup.
Switzerland entered the contest riding momentum from a convincing 4-0 win over France in its opener. Niederreiter was relatively quiet in that game, logging 15:03 of ice time with two shots on goal but failing to register a point.
Against Canada, with many Winnipeg fans tuning in, Niederreiter elevated his involvement. He skated 18:03, was more active physically and around the puck, but the scoresheet again proved unkind. The 31-year-old managed just one shot on net, took a penalty and was on the ice for two Canadian goals, finishing the night minus-two.
Niederreiter will have another opportunity to break through Sunday when Switzerland squares off against Czechia, as he looks to record his first point of the tournament and provide a spark for his national side.
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