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![\"JOHN](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3612132_web1_250923_jets_25.jpg\")
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJOHN WOODS \/ WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg Jets Brayden Yager (29) and Edmonton Oilers Ty Emberson (49) collide during third period pre-season NHL action in Winnipeg on Sept. 23. Yager was noticeable on Saturday and he set up Chibrikov’s goal with a deft back-hand pass.<\/p>\n
Looking for a highlight-reel marker?<\/p>\n
Look no further than the goal from Chibrikov from the high slot.<\/p>\n
Yager made a nifty move to create some space and then put his vision on display to locate Chibrikov alone in front and he delivered a deft backhand right on the tape before Chibrikov took care of the rest, ripping home a one-timer.<\/p>\n
Although Yager didn\u2019t record a point on the previous goal, it was his drive to the far post that allowed a cross-ice pass from Duehr to go in off Flames defenceman Brayden Pachal.<\/p>\n
The drive to the far post was also on display as Anderson-Dolan found Ford for a backdoor tap-in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were a lot of good efforts,\u201d said Jets head coach Scott Arniel, who also mentioned what he was looking for from those players on the bubble. \u201cIf you are a banger, bang. If you\u2019re a skilled guy, go out and do what you need to do. Everybody has skill sets and they\u2019re all a little bit different. Try to do that. If you get a chance to play on any of the special teams, show us what you can do there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Duehr, who is in the mix to be the 12th or 13th forward, has been making good on his chances during training camp and the exhibition season after signing a one-year deal as a free agent this past summer.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s been noticeable on a number of fronts, using his speed effectively while also getting some time on the penalty kill.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think just trying to play my north-south game and sticking to things that make me a successful player, which is straight lines and being physical and hard to play against,\u201d said Duehr, who has 92 NHL games on his resume with the Flames and San Jose Sharks, who claimed him off waivers last season.<\/p>\n
The Jets plan to take Sunday off, though Arniel told reporters on Saturday morning that the next round of cuts would be imminent and taking place before the team returned to practice on Monday.<\/p>\n
The fifth of six exhibition contests is set for Tuesday night at Grand Casino Arena as the Jets face the Minnesota Wild for the second time this month.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a closer look at what transpired in this one:<\/p>\n
THE INJURY: The worst thing that can happen to a team in the exhibition season is to have a key player go down with an injury.<\/p>\n
To this stage of training camp, the Jets have remained mostly healthy \u2014 at least until Saturday night.<\/p>\n
Dylan Samberg was on the receiving end of a hit from Flames forward Ryan Lomberg early in the second period and the Jets defenceman was favouring his left arm as he left the ice.<\/p>\n
Samberg, who finished with 11 shifts for 8:43 of ice time and chipped in an assist, virtually ran down the tunnel for further evaluation and didn\u2019t return.<\/p>\n
Arniel didn\u2019t have much of an update on Samberg\u2019s status, though it\u2019s obvious the Jets will be holding their breath until they get some clarity on the severity of the injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s getting checked out here. We\u2019ll get more information in the next day or so,\u201d said Arniel, who was also asked about the hit itself. \u201cIt was just a freak accident, it really was.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samberg is coming off an outstanding season where he became a staple in a second-pairing role, though he was on the shelf for an extended period of time with a broken foot after he blocked a slapshot from Nashville Predators centre Steven Stamkos in November.<\/p>\n
The Jets have some important decisions to make when it comes to exposing an experienced defencemen or two to waivers during the next week or so, but an injury to Samberg that keeps him out for an extended period of time would leave the door open to another blue-liner sticking around \u2014 at least on a temporary basis.<\/p>\n
THE RETURN: Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey was in the lineup for the first time since suffering a knee injury in Game 6 of the second round series with the Dallas Stars after getting tangled up with forward Mikko Rantanen.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Because of the injury to Samberg, the Jets used five D-men for the final 36 minutes or so, which meant that Morrissey wasn\u2019t exactly eased into things and it meant a heavy load for each of the guys on the back end.<\/p>\n Morrissey finished the evening with a game-high 30 shifts for 26:37 of ice time, recording three shots on goal and six shot-attempts while chipping in an assist.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t an overly physical game,\u201d said Morrissey. \u201cSome nights, 26 or 27 (minutes of ice time) look different than others. It was unfortunate with (Samberg) going down there in the second, but most guys will tell you they like playing more minutes and I\u2019d be one of those guys. It\u2019s nice to kind of get thrown into it.\u201d<\/p>\n Arniel conceded his initial plan didn\u2019t include having Morrissey play that many minutes, but the adjustment had to be made.<\/p>\n \u201cOh I know, he\u2019s always asking for more minutes,\u201d said Arniel. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to do that your first time out but, at the end of the day, it gets them all up to speed and like we say, Josh loves that. We\u2019ll see how this goes with (Samberg\u2019s injury).\u201d<\/p>\n Morrissey was also asked about the shot of fellow Jets blue-liner Neal Pionk, who scored on the power play with a point shot that made it through a screen supplied by Jonathan Toews.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, he must have been working on it this summer. It looked pretty good,\u201d said Morrissey. \u201cHopefully, he saves some for the year.\u201d<\/p>\n Pionk finished with five shots on goal, one hit and two blocked shots in 22:08 of action.<\/p>\n THE KEY PLAY: This play is normally reserved for flashy goals or big saves, but seeing Jets defenceman Dylan Samberg depart with an apparent upper-body issue easily is the biggest storyline coming out of this exhibition game.<\/p>\n THE THREE STARS <\/p>\n Neal Pionk, Jets \u2013 The blue-liner had a power play goal and added an assist while logging north of 22 minutes.<\/p>\n Nikita Chibrikov, Jets \u2013 The Russian winger scored on a one-timer and chipped in an assist.<\/p>\n Brayden Yager, Jets \u2013 The forward prospect chipped in an assist, had five shots on goal and was more involved at both ends of the ice.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t EXTRA, EXTRA: Toews suited up in his second exhibition game and finished with one shot on goal and two shot-attempts. He also won 69 per cent of his draws, going 11 and 5 in the dot. As a team, the Jets won 32 draws and lost 21 to earn a 60 per cent share.<\/p>\n Eric Comrie turned aside 22 of the 24 shots he faced in his second start of the exhibition season.<\/p>\n Earlier in the day, Arniel announced that reigning Hart Trophy and three-time Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck will be starting the final two games of the exhibition season. Hellebuyck has yet to appear in any of the first four games, though he made it clear when he spoke to the media prior to training camp that he knew exactly what he needed to be ready for the regular season.<\/p>\n ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Ken Wiebe Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJULIO CORTZ \/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
\nWinnipeg Jets defenceman Dylan Samberg left Saturday’s game after suffering an injury.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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