The Lightning are expected to turn to Andrei Vasilevskiy against the Jets after a 4-3 overtime win at the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, while the Jets move ahead without Josh Morrissey. The projected lineups also show Henry Thrun joining the picture on an emergency recall from Manitoba of the American Hockey League.
That makes the goaltending call the first thing to watch in Lightning Vs Jets. Hildeby made 19 saves in the previous game, and the expectation now is that Vasilevskiy takes over for a matchup that comes only a day after Tampa Bay’s overtime outing. On the other side, the Jets held an optional skate on Sunday, giving the club a quieter runway into game day while the lineup picture firmed up around absences and recalls.
The projected Lightning top line listed Jake Guentzel with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, a grouping that keeps the team’s most dangerous forwards together if the pregame sheet holds. For the Jets, Kyle Connor was listed with Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi, but the more revealing detail is what is missing behind them. Morrissey skated in a regular sweater but will not play, Scott Arniel said, which leaves the Jets to manage a notable hole on the blue line even before the puck drops.
That is where the lineup notes become more than housekeeping. Morrissey is listed as injured, Elias Salomonsson is away from the team dealing with a personal matter, and Clay Stevenson, Nino Niederreiter, Henry Thrun and Elias Salomonsson were scratched. The recall of Thrun on an emergency basis adds another layer of adjustment for the Jets, who now have to cover both the absence of a regular defenseman and the uncertainty that comes with reshuffling a game-day roster on short notice.
The immediate answer is simple: Vasilevskiy is expected to start, and Morrissey will not. What remains to be seen is how much those two decisions tilt a game that was already shaped by a quick turnaround, a recent overtime win and a Jets lineup that is thinner than it first appeared.
