Jets at Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are banking points despite frustrating losses and look to put two on the board when they return home to take on the Western Canada-rival Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night. The Oilers fought back to tie before losing in a shootout 3-2 at Minnesota on Friday, posting their third point during a four-game losing streak (0-1-3) heading into a tough three-game homestand.
“We’re doing a lot of good things to get the games to overtime or shootouts; we’re not getting blown out,” Edmonton’s 19-year-old captain Connor McDavid told reporters. “Overtime points are nice, better than coming out empty-handed, but we have to get the extra point.” McDavid, the league’s leading scorer (38 points), was kept off the scoresheet Friday and hopes to rebound as the Oilers attempt to beat the Jets for the third time in three tries this season. Winnipeg must lick its wounds after a 6-2 loss at Calgary on Saturday — extending its winless streak to three (0-2-1) after winning four of five. Nikolaj Ehlers did snap a 15-game goal drought in the setback for the Jets, who wrap up a stretch Sunday in which they play 11 contests in 19 days.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), Sportsnet Oilers, Sportsnet West (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE JETS (13-15-3): Mark Scheifele was a minus-3 against Calgary on Saturday, but did notch a late assist for his fifth point in five games (three goals) to push his team-leading total to 28 points. Rookie Patrik Laine (17 goals) was kept off the scoresheet for the second straight game and Blake Wheeler posted a minus-3 rating Saturday. Michael Hutchinson got the start against Calgary, allowing four goals on 29 shots, which could mean Connor Hellebuyck (10-9-1) will be between the pipes Sunday after giving up six goals in a 6-3 loss to the Oilers on Dec. 1.
ABOUT THE OILERS (14-11-5): Center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a power-play goal to tie the game in the third period Friday and Edmonton hopes it could spark a run for the former first-overall pick. “I guess I was a little snakebit but I really haven’t had as many shots lately (19 in nine games) as I did early on in the season,” Nugent-Hopkins, who has just five goals in 30 games, told reporters. “But you can’t get discouraged and pass up opportunities, or things go south on you.” Leon Draisaitl has six goals in six games this month and is second on the team with 26 points.
OVERTIME
1. Oilers RW Jordan Eberle has collected six points (one goal, five assists) in the last five contests.
2. Winnipeg D Josh Morrissey, the 13th pick in the 2013 draft, owns a plus-3 rating over the last 10 games and notched an assist Saturday.
3. Edmonton G Cam Talbot has points in his last four games (2-0-2) despite allowing 11 goals in that span.