Jets inching back to health but coach loath to admit it

The battered and broken Winnipeg Jets appear to be on the mend but coach Paul Maurice knows better than to take anything for granted.

It seems every time he catches a break and gets someone back, another player goes down, so Maurice said he'll take whatever good luck comes his way.

"If my car doesn't blow up when I start it, I'll take that as a positive," he said.

Maurice was responding to a question about whether defenceman Jacob Trouba, who has missed 20 games, could be in the lineup tonight when the Jets host Central Division rival Chicago Blackhawks.

Trouba, who went down with an ankle sprain in January, is a strong possibility to play but it will be a game-time decision, the coach said.

"He's very interested in playing tonight and he's all signed off on by everybody. His agent's on board, everybody wants to see Jake play tonight," Maurice said.

"There's no reason why he wouldn't play. I just wanted him to get through the morning skate. But I'll make that decision at game time."

Stastny back, Enstrom close

Centre Paul Stastny is also ready to go and defenceman Toby Enstrom is "real close," Maurice said.

He also noted that centre Mark Scheifele, who went out March 6, and centre Adam Lowry, who has been out since Feb. 1, are both practising with full contact as they get nearer to being in the lineup.

"They're all bangin' close now."

Biting his bottom lip, though, Maurice admitted he's nervous about seeming hopeful.

"I'm a little bit sensitive, a little bit like I've had a bit of a sunburn here — I'm a little careful about walking out into the sunlight again."

Just as those players are healing, goalie Michael Hutchinson has been diagnosed with a concussion. He was hurt in Tuesday's loss at Nashville; Maurice believes it was during the first goal.

The second goal scored against Hutchinson was one he usually would have gotten and when the third went in, Maurice said he could see his goaltender wasn't tracking the puck as well anymore.

That's the fourth time this season that a Jets goalie has suffered a concussion.

"I can't explain that," Maurice said. "I've seen goaltenders over the course of the years get hit in the head way more than our guys do."

Eric Comrie has been called up from the Manitoba Moose to play backup in net to Connor Hellebuyck, since Steve Mason also remains in the sick bay.

Hendricks gone 6-8 weeks

​The Jets have also lost veteran centre Matt Hendricks for a long stretch. He was hurt in the Washington game and is out six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury.

The team is still waiting for some inflammation to dissipate in defenceman Dmitry Kulikov, who was hurt March 8, before the medical team can get a better read on when he might return.

"It'll be a few more days before I have an answer for you," Maurice said.

So far this season, the Jets have lost 231 man games to injury, but Maurice said his situation is not different from every other team.

"If you have four or five [injured players] on your list, you're happy. Everybody's got 10 or 12."

And those who are sitting out are only the most severe. Most players in the lineups are playing through some pain, Maurice said.

"Guys play hurt in this game."

Thursday's game is the start of a six-game homestand for the Jets, who are coming off a season-high six-game road trip in which they went 3-2-1, winning the first three games and losing the last three.

Jets notes

• Based on points percentage, the projected points needed to make the playoffs in the Western Conference is 96 points. The Jets have 92 with 12 games remaining.
• Patrik Laine, 19, had five goals in three games last week to be named the NHL's first star of the week and continued his point streak on Tuesday with an assist against Nashville. That point streak is up to 13 games (16 goals, 7 assists), which is a franchise record and the longest active streak in the NHL.
• Laine has 41 goals this season, which is second in the NHL, and 77 goals in his first two seasons, which is third-most in NHL history for a teenager.
• Blake Wheeler, who notched his 59th assist of the season on Tuesday in Nashville, is tied for first in the NHL in assists and needs 11 assists in his last 12 games to set a franchise record for most assists in a season.