Jets' lose Mark Scheifele to MCL; could be back for playoffs

The Winnipeg Jets have come out of nowhere to within one point of the Dallas Stars for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff seed, but if they're going to get over the hump and make the post-season tournament, it's going to have to be without second-line centerman Mark Scheifele.

Scheifele collided with New York Islanders' defenseman Calvin de Hann midway through the Jets' loss to the Isles on Tuesday night, and coach Paul Maurice, who has been the architect of the Jets 11-3-2 record since assuming the reigns from Claude Noel in mid-January is forthcoming with information, though he seems to be just as much in the dark about a return timetable as anyone else.

"It's all in how this thing heals. You can check back with me in two or three weeks, and I'll give you a general idea of where we think it's at," Maurice said Wednesday. "There is a wide spectrum of in terms of when players come back from these injuries, but it's never in three or four weeks, so you don't need to check back too soon."

It is assumed that Olli Jokinen will replace Scheifele on the second line, but there is a dropoff in talent from there, so Maurice's tactical planning and coaching abilities will be tested - particularly in light of the Jets' imposing schedule down the stretch.

Of their 19 remaining games, starting Thursday night as they host the Los Angeles Kings, 16 are against teams that currently qualify for the playoffs, including two against the Stars and a brutal month-end five game roadie that starts in Dallas and takes them through the California gauntlet, a Murderer's Row of Anaheim, the Kings and San Jose.

Needless to say, the Jets will either find a way and play their best hockey, or they will be golfing on Easter - and it would have been so whether Scheifele and his 13 goals and 21 dimes was healthy or not.

 "I've got to find somebody to play center ice and shave some minutes at the number that Scheifele was at, so there is going to be some movement in positions," Maurice said. "There will be opportunities for players and how you handle it and how you handle your emotions is a critical piece in this stretch and is true in the playoffs, as well."

The prognosis is for a full recovery in six to eight weeks, so if the Jets' find a way into the tournament, Scheifele should be ready to lend a hand.

http://www.sportsinjuryalert.com/2014/03/jets-lose-mark-scheifele-to-mcl-could.html#.UxkR2YUcq58