The Winnipeg Jets conclude a seven-game homestand when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
The teams are playing home-and-home games this week, their first meetings since the Jets eliminated the Oilers in four straight games in last season’s playoffs, with three games going into overtime.
Winnipeg is 4-1-1 on the homestand after a 3-2 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. Mark Scheifele scored 32 seconds into overtime to snap Los Angeles’ seven-game winning streak.
“It felt good to end that one,” Scheifele said. “It was a grind of a game, and we started to pick our game up toward the end of that third period and play a little more grinding style. You need to be able to pull those ones off in this league.”
The Jets are hoping the goal ignites his line. It was Scheifele’s first goal of the season in eight games, while linemate Blake Wheeler has no goals and four assists in nine games and Nikolaj Ehlers has three goals, but none in his past four games.
“Those guys that are paid to put the puck in the net and produce points have to have one go for them,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “So hopefully, for Nikky as well, just the set-up on the goal, and then for Mark, hopefully that can get him back to a positive frame of mind with the puck.”
Veteran forward Paul Stastny did not practice Monday. He hasn’t played since getting hit by a puck in a game against the New York Islanders on Nov. 6.
Edmonton looks to complete a five-game road trip on the plus side after going 2-2-0 through the first four.
Kailer Yamamoto scored with 28 seconds left in the third period to give the Oilers a 5-4 win at the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. Leon Draisaitl continued his torrid pace with a goal and two assists, and Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist. Mikko Koskinen made 35 saves.
“Kind of a mixed bag tonight,” McDavid said. “I thought our first (period) wasn’t great. Mikko held us in it, and I thought our second was real good and (we) deserved to be up. We gave it back to them, but I like the way we responded.”
It was Draisaitl’s sixth multi-point effort in his past seven games. He has scored 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in that stretch and leads the NHL with 15 goals.
McDavid (205 goals, 396 assists) became the sixth-fastest skater to 600 career points in NHL history, getting there in 421 games. Only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Peter Stastny, Mike Bossy and Jari Kurri did it faster.
With Mike Smith injured, Koskinen continues to get the majority of work in net with Stuart Skinner backing him up. Koskinen is 9-1, which is helped by playing behind the NHL’s top offense. But Koskinen is more than holding up his end with a 2.74 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
Despite allowing four goals against the Blues, he earned praise from teammates and his coach.
“He was excellent. He made some big saves,” coach Dave Tippett said. “We didn’t defend very well in front of him and they threw a lot of pucks around that net, so he had to make some big saves for us.”
–Field Level Media
