Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey will soon get the moment he's waited three years for.
The 20-year-old will make his NHL debut when the Jets take on the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
#NHLJets D Josh Morrissey said the phone call with his parents to say he was recalled was an emotional one, included some tears
— Ken Wiebe (@WiebeSunSports) March 5, 2016
Morrissey was drafted in the first round by the Jets in 2013, but returned to the Western Hockey League for the following two seasons. He has spent this year with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League where he has three goals and 22 points in 56 games.
"This smile hasn't left my face since yesterday when I got the call," Morrissey told Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. "It's a culmination of a lot of work to get to this point. It's so exciting."
Morrissey will have his parents in attendance for his first taste of the NHL. Meanwhile for the Jets, defenseman Jacob Trouba will miss Saturday's contest as he deals with an upper-body injury.
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The 2015-16 season is not working out for Buffalo Sabres forward Matt Moulson.
The 32-year-old been largely ineffective for the Sabres this season, managing just five goals through 64 games, and while his on-ice struggles seem to have stemmed from a lack of confidence, general manager Tim Murray believes it all starts with his workouts.
"I see a player that maybe has neglected some things in the last couple years as far as how workouts are changing, how we as an organization are changing with our young players and even our players on the team," Murray said on WGR 550-AM Radio, according to John Vogl of Buffalo News.
"He's sat up through some tough conversations. He's sat up and taken notice, and I would say in the last five to six weeks he has been our hardest-working guy after games in the gym."
Moulson has been putting in the time; anything to help rekindle the offensive side of his game that saw him hit the 30-goal mark in three straight season from 2010 to 2012. However, Moulson denies that his workout habits have changed.
"I just think it was a case of, I kind of lost my confidence and building that back up by the way I'm working," said Moulson. "I don't think my workouts have really changed. I've taken my off-ice performances pretty seriously my entire life.
"Obviously, (it's) not the way I wanted it to go," said Moulson. "You want to help your team win and contribute. You always want to do that. I think for anyone that likes scoring goals you want to have more of them."
In the meantime, the Sabres are hoping they can get Moulson back towards becoming the producer he has proven he can be for the 2016-17 campaign.
"The long-term goal is to have him better and able to produce starting next September in training camp, but it has started now," said Murray. "The extra work has started now. We know it won't pay off, like I say, tomorrow, but I fully expect he'll come back better next year.
"I don't expect to see a drastically different (player) but I expect to see a different, more competitive Matt Moulson next season."
- With h/t to NBC Sports
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The Pacific Division is up for grabs Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, and you'll forgive the Kings for wondering how that happened.
The Anaheim Ducks will roll into the Staples Center on one hell of a streak, having won 10 in a row. They're flying, going 17-1-1 in their last 19, and posting a 20-4-2 mark since 2016 began.
The two teams have met three times since Jan. 17, with the Ducks losing the first meeting 3-2, but winning the next two games 4-2. Both have 80 points in 63 games, and both excel defensively.
"(Saturday's) a big game, one of the biggest games of the year," said Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb.
It should live up to the hype. Here's how the clubs match up, and there isn't much difference between them:
| Ducks | Statistic | Kings |
|---|---|---|
| 2.51 (22nd) | Goals Per Game | 2.63 (17th) |
| 2.29 (2nd) | Goals Against | 2.27 (1st) |
| 22.9% (3rd) | Power Play | 21.5% (9th) |
| 86.7% (2nd) | Penalty Kill | 81.4% (13th) |
| 53% (3rd) | Corsi For % | 56.3% (1st) |
| 91 (29th) | Goals For 5on5 | 98 (24th) |
| 99 (9th) | Goals Against 5on5 | 90 (1st) |
| 98.6 (29th) | PDO | 99.4 (22nd) |
Individually, the clubs line up similarly as well:
| Ducks | Statistic | Kings |
|---|---|---|
| Corey Perry (28) | Goals | Tyler Toffoli (24) |
| Ryan Getzlaf (42) | Assists | Anze Kopitar (35) |
| Getzlaf (51) | Points | Kopitar (54) |
| Frederik Andersen (17) | Wins | Jonathan Quick (32) |
| John Gibson (2.09) | GAA | Quick (2.18) |
| Andersen (.922) | SV% | Quick (.920) |
| Gibson (4) | Shutouts | Quick (3) |
Both teams have five players with over 35 points. Yeah, this game's going to be good.
Should the Ducks win, they'll set a new franchise record for wins in a row with 11. And you know, to a man, they'd love to set the record against the Kings.
"It's going to be the biggest game of the year, and everybody knows that goingin ," said Kings winger Dwight King. "We know what's on the line, so it's going to be pretty much playoff hockey."
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