GAME PREVIEW: Edmonton Oilers vs. Winnipeg Jets

Edmonton Oilers (37-24-8) 2nd, Pacific vs

Winnipeg Jets (36-28-5) 5th, Central

11 March 2020

Rogers Place

7 PM MST

TV: Sportsnet West

Radio: 630 CHED

SQUEEZING ONE OUT OF VEGAS

The Oilers were able to squeeze a point out of Vegas on Saturday night. The Golden Knights outshot the Oilers by a 2:1 margin, but it was Shea Theodore who put it to bed in the extended period for the Oilers. Mikko Koskinen turned aside 45 more shots en route to an OTL. Edmonton picked up a point in defeat, they’ll look to take two points as the Jets pay a visit tonight.

The Oilers were without their captain Connor McDavid on Monday, who was held out of the game with an illness. Will the Oilers get McDavid back tonight?

Let’s go to the tape.

THE OILERS ARE SAYING

“I thought we had addressed some things this morning, but our execution is so poor in a lot of different situations. Some of that is pure not getting the play made, and some is guys on their own page, going to their own spots and thinking that they can vary from the game plan.”

Source

That’s Oilers head coach Dave Tippett on his club’s performance after a 2-1 OTL to Vegas on Monday night.

Mikko Koskinen is playing very well, but the Oilers are allowing a truckload of shots right now. That’s got to change if the Oilers are going to have a solid March.

THE JETS ARE SAYING

“They’re a hungry team. We ended up stopping the bleeding there and finishing it off the right way. … It’s been a while so to chip in in that way, you’re doing good work out there. It felt good.”

Source

That’s Winnipeg Jets forward Cody Eakin after scoring the game winner in Winnipeg’s 4-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday.

The goal was Eakin’s first since being traded from Vegas to Winnipeg at this year’s deadline. The Jets are winners of three straight.

HAVE SOME OF THIS

• SHOTS! The Oilers are allowing entirely too many shots right now. If we take the extremely small sample size of 137 shots like the Oilers have here, that’s an incredible 46 shots allowed per game over the last three. Club is going to lose way more than they win like that, so can someone grab that before it becomes a thing?
• PLEASE COME BACK: Please come back to the lineup, Connor McDavid. Held from Monday’s game with an illness, the Oilers would really benefit from him being back in tonight’s lineup. The captain is second in team scoring to only Leon Draisaitl, he’s a big, big deal to the success of the Oilers.
• JETS TAKING FLIGHT? The Jets are making a go of it right now. Winners of their last three, they’re hoping they can finish strong and see the second season. Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor each are scoring just over a point per game, look for them along with Blake Wheeler for one of the league’s most exciting top lines. I mean, it’s not 93/29/56 good, but it’s pretty good.
• NET GAINS: Look for Mike Smith to get the nod for the Oilers tonight (19-11-6, .903 SV% / 2.94 GAA / 1 SO). Connor Hellebuyck will go for the Oilers. (30-21-5, .922 SV% / 2.58 GAA / 6 SO)
• SICK BAY: The Oilers will be without Joakim Nygard (hand) and Mike Green (ankle). The Jets will miss Bryan Little (ear), Samu Niku (lower body) and Luca Sbisa (upper body). Defenceman Anthony Bitteto is day-to-day.

A win will pull the Oilers to within one point of idle Vegas. Let’s get it.