NHL Game(s) of the Week: Winnipeg Jets vs. Edmonton Oilers

Story posted March 3, 2023 in CommRadio, Sports by Ethan Zaretsky

The Jets and Oilers meet for a home and home for their second and final games of the regular season. Winnipeg took the first bout 2-1 in Rogers Place, leaving the Oilers hungry for a win.

Edmonton Oilers (32-21-8, 4th in Pacific)

A career-high 50th goal for Connor McDavid thrusts the Oilers into another atmosphere regarding playoff consideration. He has proven that he can win, and it’s only a matter of time until he does. 

Edmonton hasn’t been playing its style of hockey, and it is showing in the results. Averaging 4.2 goals in the previous ten and only four wins to show.

Draisaitl, Mcdavid, and the Oilers have won eight of the last ten against the Jets with only three of those being decided by one goal.

The Oilers outrank all team’s powerplays by over 5%. I can’t remember the last time there has been that big of a gap in PP% this late in the season.

Coming into the two-game stand they have won four out of the last ten games, including Wednesday’s 5-2 victory against the Maple Leafs.

One key for McDavid and the Oilers is defense but most importantly, goaltending.  Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell are an inconsistent tandem that has been struggling recently.

Now with Bjugstad and Ekholm replacing Puljujarvi and Barrie in the lineup, they look to become more aggressive offensively.

Waiting is the name of the game for the Oilers, when is it going to be time to take them seriously?

Winnipeg Jets (35-24-2, 4th in Central)

Despite dealing with injuries most of the season, Winnipeg is in a spot they were expected to come March.

Positioned in the 2nd wild card spot within the Western Conference, the Jets are relying heavily on their Vezina contending goalie, Connor Hellebuyck.

The Jets have been quiet during this year’s deadline aside from acquiring Nino Niederreiter in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick.

Only 3 forwards have played every game so far for Winnipeg including the likes of Mark Scheiffle, Kyle Connor and Adam Lowry surprisingly.

In the first matchup between these two teams, the Jets edged out a 2-1 win with contributions from none other than Connor and Neal Pionk.

Shots on goal total were 32-to-17 in favor of the Oilers. In order for the Jets to contend in this upcoming home and home they need to get more shots on target.

The newest member Mattias Ekholm is a fantastic addition to the defensive core of the Oilers and could give Winnipeg some trouble this weekend.

Ethan Zaretsky is a third-year studying broadcast journalism and minoring in sports studies. To contact him, email:emz5126@psu.edu