Jets outlast Oilers in offensively charged showdown

EDMONTON – The goal lights at Rogers Place may need to be recharged, or replaced, after Monday night’s offensively charged tilt between the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers.

Fortunately for the Jets, the light behind the Oilers (9-8-0) net went on one more time than the one behind their own.

Blake Wheeler scored the eventual game-winner with 13:38 to go in the third to give the Jets a 6-5 road trip opening win.

Wheeler was one of four Jets to have multi-point nights in the win, along with Neal Pionk, Kyle Connor, and Mark Scheifele – who led the way with three points.

“We got the win. There are things we want to tighten up, but all in all, we got the win,” said Scheifele, who now has 11 points over the span of a seven-game point streak. “That’s what we come here for is to get two points. We got that, so that’s really all that matters.”

Video: WPG@EDM: Perreault pots redirection in the slot

The Jets (9-5-1) and Oilers combined for 17 goals in their first two meetings of the season in January. So perhaps the offensive outburst was somewhat expected, but still, head coach Paul Maurice felt he and Oilers coach Dave Tippett likely aged a few years watching their teams on this night.

“That’s a perfect example why coach’s years and dog years are the same,” said Maurice.

“It was not a particularly well-played game. We can all agree on that, except the skill level in some parts of that was so extreme. If you had fans in the building, that was a roller-coaster for everybody.”

Scheifele’s first power play goal of the season opened the scoring for the Jets. Wheeler spotted Scheifele posted up in the left circle and threaded a perfect seam pass through the Edmonton penalty killers to Scheifele, who made no mistake on his seventh goal of the campaign 6:30 into the first period.

Alex Chiasson tied the game 4:33 later, as he took a stretch pass from Devin Shore and beat Connor Hellebuyck on the short side for his first goal of the season.

Video: WPG@EDM: Connor wires wrister past Smith

The Jets were undeterred though, as 1:47 later, Kyle Connor corralled a bouncing puck in front of the Edmonton net and snapped it past the glove of Mike Smith to put the Jets back in front 2-1.

“Those plays happen so fast. A lot of it is reactionary. I’m in the slot there, they’re trying to clear it. It’s in the air, I’m trying to knock it down and get possession,” said Connor.

“I just knocked it down and my mentality is get it quick. You know where the net is and know you’re just trying to get it up top.”

Then, the six-goal, edge-of-your-seat, don’t blink second period began.

First, Mason Appleton took a drop pass from Scheifele just inside the Oilers zone and threaded his fourth of the season through the legs of Smith.

Nikolaj Ehlers made it 4-1 with his 10th of the season – a laser of a wrist shot from the slot – 1:42 after the Appleton goal. 

Video: WPG@EDM: Ehlers beats Smith with quick wrist shot 

That was the end of the night for Smith, who was pulled after allowing four goals on 11 shots.

That gave the Oilers a bit of a boost, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins cut into the Winnipeg lead with a power play goal with 10:48 to go in the middle frame. It was just the second power play goal the Jets have given up since Jan. 26.

Kailer Yamamoto deflected a point shot from Darnell Nurse to pull the home side within one again. Yamamoto’s fifth of the season made it 4-3 with 7:03 left in the middle frame.

Video: WPG@EDM: Scheifele cranks heavy one-timer for PPG

Overall, the Jets allowed 21 scoring chances at five-on-five, with five of those being high-danger chances.

“I don’t think that’s the way the coaches drew it up, or even the goaltenders,” said Connor. “They were trailing by a couple in the second and they started really opening it up. We started letting off the gas a little bit and if you do that on any team, especially with the type of players they have over there, they’re going to put a couple in your net.”

The momentum swings continued, as Mathieu Perreault tipped a Pionk slapshot through Mikko Koskinen to put the Jets up 5-3.

“We played well enough well to win, but that doesn’t mean we played great either,” said Pionk. “Our identity is playing hard and making short simple passes. We will take that into the next game for sure, make sure we’re finishing checks and playing a little more simple.”

Video: WPG@EDM: Wheeler deflects Morrissey’s one-timer home

Chiasson’s second of the game capped it off with 2:21 left, leaving the Jets up 5-4 after 40 minutes.

Exhale.

Nugent-Hopkins tied the game 2:55 into the third, but Wheeler put the Jets up for good – just 3:27 after the Oilers had tied it – with a deflection of a Josh Morrissey point shot.

“That was a big goal for us,” said Connor. “He plays the game the right way for 60 minutes. He’s the leader, our captain, and that’s what you want. He goes to the hard areas, gets a tip. It was a big goal.”

The two teams face off again on Wednesday.