Paul Maurice: 8 Jets were dealing with significant injuries in series vs. Ducks
The Winnipeg Jets weren't able to fly as high as they wanted.
That was the message from head coach Paul Maurice after Wednesday night's 5-2 Game 4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, who swept away the Jets and advanced to the second round.
Jets probably have 8 significant injuries, 4 from before series, according to coach Paul Maurice.
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) April 23, 2015
Guys were playing with broken bones, the coach added.
Adam Pardy was one of the walking wounded, with Maurice saying he couldn't in good conscience put him in Wednesday's lineup. Pardy played 17:30 in Game 2, scoring a goal, and 19 minutes in Game 3.
Captain Andrew Ladd was playing hurt, with Maurice saying that Ladd's injury would have - in normal circumstances - kept him out of the lineup for at least a month. Instead, the 29-year-old gutted through the pain.
Maurice said one goal against tonight came when an injured player couldn't do what he would've done if healthy.
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) April 23, 2015
The series didn't go the way the Jets wanted it to, but they held their heads high after the loss, saluting their terrific fans, and their effort.
"I'm proud of how everybody played," said Mark Stuart. "We battled until the end."