Pair Of Jets Absent From Practice For Second Consecutive Day

The Winnipeg Jets are gearing up for what could be the most critical game of the regular season tomorrow and could be without Nikolaj Ehlers and Neal Pionk.

The Jets hold an eight-point lead on the Dallas Stars for the Central Division, but have played two more games. Friday's matchup could be a critical fixture in deciding who finishes atop the division.

The Jets practiced yesterday and were without four players, those being Ehlers, Pionk, Mason Appleton and Dylan DeMelo. Both Appleton and DeMelo returned to practice today as full participants but Ehlers and Pionk were absent once again. 

HC Scott Arniel was asked about the pair missing two consecutive practices, but did not share much. Following yesterday's practice, assistant coach Marty Johnson said they were all absent due to maintenance but it's very rare to have back-to-back maintenance days.

Arniel refused to give any indication about whether Ehlers and Pionk would be available on Friday, mentioning that they were monitoring them and they would see how they feel tomorrow. 

The Stars, similar to the Jets, are one of the most balanced teams in hockey. They rank fourth in goals scored and rank third in goals allowed. They run three scoring lines despite missing Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz, their defense core is balanced despite missing Miro Heiskanen and have one of the best netminders in the NHL in Jake Oettinger. 

Possibly entering the game without Ehlers' 21 goals and 57 points, as well as Pionk's nine goals and 37 points would make an already difficult task, that much harder. 

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