Black-&-blue line loses Kulikov

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This article was published 29/11/2019 (1854 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LOS ANGELES — The Winnipeg Jets were forced to shuffle their roster on Saturday after losing yet another defenceman to injury.

Dmitry Kulikov absorbed a big hit in the first period of Friday’s 3-0 win in Anaheim and left the game. He didn’t play Saturday night in Los Angeles as the Jets wrapped up a three-game California road trip, and head coach Paul Maurice said further evaluation will be needed once they return home on Sunday.

Carl Dahlstrom came into the lineup against the Kings following 13 consecutive healthy scratches. And Cameron Schilling was summoned from the Manitoba Moose to provide some extra insurance as a seventh defenceman. 

Schilling, 31, has four goals and seven assists in 11 games with the Moose this year. He played in four games for the Jets last season, registering an assist. This likely would have been a good opportunity for Sami Niku to earn a promotion,  but he’s currently battling an upper-body ailment with the Moose, and missed Friday’s game in Grand Rapids.

Kulikov, 29, has one goal and three assists in 25 games for the Jets this season, primarily skating on the second pair with Neal Pionk.

To make room for Schilling on the 23-man roster, the Jets have placed Nathan Beaulieu on injured reserve. He suffered an apparent hand injury while blocking a shot in last Saturday’s game against Columbus at Bell MTS Place. He is considered week-to-week.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg