GAME PREVIEW: Game 47/56 Edmonton Oilers @ Winnipeg Jets

Edmonton Oilers (28-16-2, 2nd in North) vs

Winnipeg Jets (27-18-3, 3rd in North)

28 April 2021

Bell MTS Place

7 PM MST

TV: Sportsnet West

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: Arctic Ice Hockey

SIX IS GOOD FOR THE PARTY

The Edmonton Oilers scored six goals times in a romp over the Jets on Monday. Connor McDavid had his third hat trick of the season, the Oilers got goals from Alex Chiasson, Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse too as they took two points in a lopsided 6-1 victory. Mike Smith picked up his 17th win of the season by turning aside 36 of 37 shots. It’s a big victory for a team that’s looking charge into the playoffs. They will face the Jets again tonight, looking for more of the same. Will we see a repeat performance?

Let’s go to the tape.

THE OILERS ARE SAYING

It’s good for our confidence...But the playoffs is a different animal. We’re obviously jostling for position and kind of leaning that way that we might play them, so we want to finish ahead of them and have home-ice advantage. We’ll see what happens moving forward

Source

That’s Oilers captain Connor McDavid on the Oilers picking up their sixth win in eight games against the Jets this season.

A four point night for Connor McDavid, a six goal night for the Oilers. They’re not all going to be like that every night, but Monday’s rout of the Jets was a notice to the Jets that the Oilers have their number...so far.

THE JETS ARE SAYING

It was enough...I didn’t want Connor (Hellebuyck) skating off the ice in that game because he’s made a bunch of saves. I didn’t have him [responsible] for any of them. I didn’t want him coming off the ice during the period and making the skate so, after two, he had had enough work.

Source

That’s Jets head coach Paul Maurice after goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was relieved after two periods of play.

Laurent Brossoit came in for mop up duty after 40 minutes, but it was all over by then. Connor Hellebuyck is a Vezina candidate this season, but it just wasn’t his night on Monday.

HAVE SOME OF THIS

• FIRST, SOME FIRSTS: Ryan McLeod made his NHL debut in Monday’s victory over the Jets, he got 14 minutes of ice time and looked good on a line featuring Devin Shore and Josh Archibald. And, he’s got zip. Dmitry Kulikov played in his first game as an Oiler and interestingly enough played the fewest minutes among any defenceman with 18:23 total. We’ll see if this number increases or decreases over the next ten games. With Kulikov and Caleb Jones both in, this is probably as good as it gets for the Oilers this year.
• You think the Jets missed Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry on Monday? Ehlers is out for the remainder of the regular season, while Lowry missed Monday with an upper body injury. Ehlers is second on the club in scoring;
• 81 POINTS: I think it’s presumptuous to expect Connor McDavid to just kick out four point games with any fair regularity, but it’s also presumptuous to expect him not to. Connor McDavid needs 19 points to reach 100 on the season, another multi-point game could push that number even higher.
• Let’s talk about how well the top line of Kahun - McDavid - Puljujärvi looked. I believe the best way to do this is with a goal.

• I’ll take about a half dozen of those each and every game. This goal was McDavid’s 27th on the season, he finished with another goal and 28 on the year. Two more until 30. Everyone picks up a point on that line. Neil Pionk wish he had about a foot more length on that reach.
• Mike Smth is the likely starter tonight for the Oilers (17-5-2, .923 SV% / 2.32 GAA / 3 SO), though Mikko Koskinen may get a look sooner than later (10-11-0, .903 SV% / 3.09 GAA) The Jets will likely go with Connor Hellebuyck one more time (21-14-3, .913 SV% / 2.70 GAA 2 SO) though Laurent Brossoit may get the nod after playing in mop-up duty on Monday.
• Second place isn’t a terrible spot to be for the Oilers. Only place up now is Toronto, who lead Edmonton by 7 points. The Oilers have two games in hand, they can inch closer with another win tonight. Make it happen out there.