As Patrik Laine scored the Winnipeg Jets' first goal of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, it was hard to not notice Josh Morrissey back on the ice.
Just moments earlier, Morrissey, was announced as part of Winnipeg's starting lineup to resounding cheers from the fans at Bell MTS place. The Winnipeg defenceman had missed the team's final 20 regular season games due to an upper-body injury he suffered on a hit by Arizona Coyotes forward Vinnie Hinostroza on Feb. 24.
🎥 Josh Morrissey shares his excitement on getting back into gameplay tonight, what he's looking to do in the game, and more. #WPGvsSTL pic.twitter.com/p1KfdsQaq0
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) April 10, 2019
"When you get on the ice in Game 1 of the playoffs, the emotion goes to another level that you haven't seen all year," Morrissey said before the game. "That adrenaline's firing. So I think it'll be more so trying to keep it simple, not trying to do too much. Just try to get back into the rhythm of things as fast as possible...falling on the little details of your game that make any players successful."
A healthy and productive Morrisey is a potential difference-maker for the Jets in the series. In 59 games before the injury, he notched 31 points (six goals, 25 assists) for Winnipeg. Given the Jets' struggles to close out the season, being outscored 31-23 while losing six of their last nine games. Winnipeg went 10-9-1 without the 24-year-old in the lineup.
Winnipeg got Dustin Byfuglien back late in the regular season after he missed 34 of 39 games since Dec. 30. If Byfuglien and Morrissey, along with Jacob Trouba and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck can solidify the Jets backend it'll go along to help the Jets get past the upstart Blues.