When you come to the provincial capital of Manitoba for the playoffs to face the Winnipeg Jets Tom Kuhnhackl Jersey , you know two things for sure: it’s going to be white, and it’s going to be loud. The fans inside MTS Centre wear white to playoff games — a tradition started three decades ago during the team’s first incarnation in Winnipeg. And they’re noisy. Really, really noisy
Bruce Boudreau will bring the Minnesota Wild to Winnipeg on Wednesday for Game 1 one of their first-round playoff series. Since the NHL returned to Winnipeg in 2011, Boudreau is in fact the only opposing coach to experience that atmosphere first-hand.
In 2015, Boudreau coached the Anaheim Ducks to a four-game sweep of the Jets in round one, including a pair of wins in Winnipeg. So, he’s not expecting to be intimidated by conditions inside the arena.
“They have a rabid fan base, but every team in the NHL has a rabid fan base at this stage of the game,” Boudreau said Tuesday, before the Wild boarded a northbound plane. “Noise isn’t going to bother you.”
If the Wild are going to get bothered, it will be on the rink, as they face a Jets team that has shown few weak spots in finishing second in the Central Division and earning home ice for the series.
“You have less room for error because they’re always coming at you. You can’t have a 10-minute break so to speak and play normal. You always have to be on your toes playing the right way because one line’s as good as the next line,” Boudreau said of the Jets. “It’s not a question that they’re overly deep Mark Scheifele Jersey , it’s just you’ve got to play the same way to defend player A as player X on their team.”
What the Jets lack in playoff experience, with one of the youngest and perhaps hungriest rosters in the NHL, they make up for in enthusiasm, as the roster and the city are excited — perhaps overly so — for the start of the playoffs. This franchise, which started as the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999, has never won a playoff game, and the opportunity to do that for the first time is the talk of the town.
“Game day is going to be really exciting for us, but the hockey doesn’t change,” said Jets coach Paul Maurice, who coached the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2002. “It’s going to get faster and all the details are pushed harder by both teams, but the game that we want to play is what we’ve been working on for 82.”
The Wild lineup might look different, at least on the blue line, then in recent games when the puck drops Wednesday. Defenseman Jared Spurgeon has been out since last month with a groin injury but has been practicing and is hopeful to return. It would be a big boost for Minnesota Adrian Kempe Jersey , which is reeling from the loss of defenseman Ryan Suter to a season-ending leg injury.
“He’s getting better,” Boudreau said of Spurgeon’s status. “Still a game-time decision (Wednesday).”
Wednesday was already going to be a bullpen day for the Tampa Bay Rays, and Tuesday’s 16-inning, 9-6 victory over the Miami Marlins only adds to that, with one or two Rays relievers expected to be added to help provide fresh arms.
The five-hour, 31-minute marathon further taxed the bullpen for Tampa Bay (43-42), with Matt Andriese expected to start Wednesday in Miami after the teams played extra-inning games in the first two contests of the three-game series.
The Rays, continuing their strategy of using relievers as starters, scrapped a scheduled start by Ryne Stanek for the second day in a row, opting to use him in extra innings Monday and Tuesday instead of opening the following day.
Stanek was originally scheduled to start Tuesday, but came in for the 10th inning Monday night. He walked the first batter and then gave up two hits, taking the loss without recording an out to briefly give himself an infinite ERA for his career against the Marlins.
He was then slated to start Wednesday, but came in and pitched the 12th inning Tuesday night http://www.officialhockeypanthersshop.com/authentic-adidas-james-reimer-jersey , striking out the side to push the game to the 13th inning. He added another scoreless frame, but that took him out of his scheduled role Wednesday, putting more work on an overused bullpen. Nine pitchers were used in Tuesday’s win, requiring at least one roster move just to supply enough live arms to get through Wednesday’s series finale.
Miami used eight pitchers Tuesday, so the Marlins may need to add a reliever for short-term relief as well, under much the same circumstances.
Andriese (1-3, 3.86 ERA) will start two days after he pitched two innings Monday against the Marlins, limiting them to one hit and no runs. That outing came after two straight appearances where he gave up three runs each, raising his season ERA from 3.27 to 4.02.
Andriese will make his fourth start of the season Wednesday, and has handled the Marlins well in his career, with a 1-0 record and 1.69 ERA career appearances against them, including a seven-inning scoreless gem last season.
Miami will start Jose Urena (2-9, 4.40) Womens Jake Gardiner Jersey , who is slowly bouncing back from a rough first two months of the season. Urena did not get any wins in his first 12 starts, but is 2-2 since and is just now returning from a stint on the disabled list with right shoulder impingement.
Urena had his best outing of the season two starts ago, going eight scoreless innings and holding Baltimore to three hits while getting the win June 15. He wasn’t as fortunate five days later, lasting 5 2/3 innings and giving up five runs and eight hits in a loss to the Giants.
Urena has never started against the Rays, but carries a 1.59 career ERA in six relief appearances, including five scoreless innings in 2015-16, against Tampa Bay. He pitched well last season, winning 14 games and finishing with a 3.82 ERA.
After this series, the Rays move on to New York for a three-game series with the Mets, while the Marlins go to Washington for a four-game series against the Nationals.
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