Oilers' power play too much for Jets
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- The Edmonton Oilers rode a power play reminiscent of its 1980s glory days to a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
With its man advantage quarterbacked by NHL leading scorer Connor McDavid -- similar to how Wayne Gretzky lead the power play during their dynasty years -- the Oilers went 3 for 4 in the first two periods to snap a three-game losing streak and improve their record to 13-10-2.
Edmonton goaltender Cam Talbot turned away 21 shots.
The Oilers took a pair of penalties to start the third period, giving the Jets a two-man advantage for 1:14.
Finnish rookie phenom Patrik Laine made them pay with his second goal -- a one-timer high to Talbot's blocker side -- at 1:44 to bring the Jets back within one at 4-3 with his 15th of the season.
Laine nearly tied the game before the second penalty had expired with another one-timer but it hit a leg in front of Talbot and deflected wide.
The Oilers regained a two-goal lead at 7:13 with Leon Draisaitl's second goal -- a spin-around backhander. McDavid recorded his third assist on the play.
As the the goal was being announced over the public address system, Pouliot deflected a point shot behind Hellebuyck at 7:33. It was his fourth goal of the season.
That was enough for Jets coach Paul Maurice, who pulled Hellebuyck in favour of Michael Hutchinson.
The Jets opened the scoring at 35 seconds when right winger Blake Wheeler found his center, Bryan Little, suddenly alone in the slot. Little, who returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing all but four shifts of the season with a lower-body injury, snapped it home past Talbot.
The momentum was short lived, however, as Jets right winger Chris Thorburn took a high sticking penalty in front of his own net at 2:14. With McDavid running the power play, center Mark Letestu deflected his third of the season past Hellebuyck at 2:31.
The Oilers returned the favor after Pouliot was sent off for interference at 9:05. Considering the Jets power play has been ice-cold for the past few weeks, it was unlikely anybody on Edmonton's Oilers bench was overly concerned.
But then defenseman Toby Enstrom found Laine on the left point and he blasted a one-timer past Talbot's outstretched glove at 10:14.
The Oilers didn't wait long to reply in the second, coincidentally the Jets worst period all season long. McDavid's hounding of Jacob Trouba caused the Jets defenseman to hold McDavid's stick, resulting in a penalty only eight seconds in. On the ensuing power play, McDavid found Draisaitl in the slot and his snapshot beat Hellebuyck before the period was a minute old.
Jets right winger Drew Stafford gave the Oilers' power play their fourth opportunity when he took a minor penalty for hooking at 4:22. Left winger Milan Lucic found Letestu in close and Hellebuyck was unable to stop his wrist shot as the Oilers took their first lead of the game at 5:06.
The Oilers went ahead 4-2 on an innocent looking play when right winger Zack Kassian shot the puck on net from the left boards and it deflected off left winger Patrick Maroon at 11:43.
NOTES: Jets scratches were D Mark Stuart, LW Kyle Connor and C Alexander Burmistrov. ... The Oilers scratched D Mark Fayne, C Matt Hendricks and R Jesse Puljujarvi. ... This was Edmonton's second visit to Winnipeg this season but the first indoors. The Oilers beat the Jets 3-0 in the outdoor Heritage Classic game in October. ... Winnipeg was 1 for 21 on the power play in its previous seven games before going 2 for 4 on Thursday. ... Edmonton C Connor McDavid leads the league in scoring with 34 points. ... A year ago, Jets RW Patrik Laine and Oilers RW Jesse Puljujarvi were linemates preparing to lead Team Finland to gold at the World Junior Hockey Championships. Their young careers have gone in different directions since arriving in the NHL. Laine leads rookies in scoring while Puljujarvi was a healthy scratch on four occasions.