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Home , Cam Talbot, Leon Draisaitl, Mark Letestu, Mark Scheifele, Matt Benning, Milan Lucic

Winnipeg Free Press https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/ehlers-lifts-jets-to-5-2-victory-over-oilers- 450174883.html

Doff your hat to Ehlers, Jets fans Winger scores three goals in surprising win over Oilers

By: Jason Bell

EDMONTON — The lost momentum Monday night to the Oilers, but Danish speedster stole it back.

Just when things were looking bleak, the Jets young left-winger pumped two goals in 69 seconds late in the second period to spark the visitors to a 5-2 NHL victory.

Ehlers completed the hat trick with a power-play in the third period as the Jets earned their elusive first win of the 2017-18 season, demonstrating moxie and resolve against one of the league’s most dangerous squads.

Leading 2-0 after the first period, the Jets surrendered goals within 40 seconds by forwards Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins just past the midway of the second. Jets coach called a timeout after the Oilers tied it. Then Ehlers went to work, firing back-to- back beauties and the Jets, buoyed by the strong play of , held firm.

Afterward, Ehlers was elated — and not because of the three-goal effort.

"We played well," he said. "We came back strong and got the two points, so we’re really happy."

Ehlers said the little break called by Maurice gave the club some time to re-focus.

"It was big. We all knew what we needed to do. We knew what we were capable of. We didn’t do that the first two games but (Monday night) we showed it," he said.

Hellebuyck had no measure of past success against the hosts to draw from as he stood between the pipes in his first start of the season, confronting the high-flying Oilers for the fifth time in his career. He came into the contest with an 0-4-0 record, a 4.76 goals-against average and .857 save percentage against the Pacific Division squad.

But he put on a goaltending clinic at , blocking 37 shots, including 21 in the first period, as the Jets weathered an early storm, crafted a lead and — this time — didn’t crumble.

"A win’s a win. I’m really proud of the guys in front of me. Everyone here really dug in and dug deep and pulled out a team win," said Hellebuyck. "I was seeing a lot of pucks and that means the guys in front of me are doing the right things, keeping them to the outside, a lot of good blocks and so many good back checks."

Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot finished with 39 saves.

Winnipeg kicked off the season with a 7-2 defeat to the visiting and then jumped out to a 3-1 first-period lead in on Saturday night before falling 6-3 to the Flames.

Maurice told reporters Sunday Mason deserved a break after a pair of onslaughts, and Hellebuyck was getting the assignment.

Hellebuyck, who had just a period of action prior to Monday’s start, replacing Mason in the third period against Toronto, stopping nine of 11 drives, appeared confident, athletic and agile against Connor McDavid and the Oilers. He was particularly sharp in the initial frame, withstanding an early barrage of rubber as the Oilers power-play unit peppered him with seven quick drives.

He stopped a hard snapper from McDavid and then turned aside a couple of shots from in tight by Milan Lucic. Later in the period, he moved quickly across to stop Oscar Klefbom’s blast, and then did the splits to get a pad on Ryan Strome’s try on the rebound.

Winnipeg, outshot 10-2 after just seven minutes of play, kicked its own game into high gear. Centre swatted in his third goal in as many games near the midway mark of the first period for the Jets, while defenceman Dmitry Kulikov’s nasty wrist beat goalie Talbot to the blocker side with just under four minutes left.

Winnipeg tossed out the word "desperation" when discussing the mood of the team but eased off and opted instead for "urgency," during a chat with reporters following the team’s morning skate.

Either of those descriptors captured the essence of the Jets’ performance. The visitors bent but refused to break in the second period after the Oilers knotted the game 2-2.

"All the pieces... we had real good goaltending, we had a number of our defencemen — difficult to single them out because they I thought they were all pretty good," said Maurice. "Up front, Nik scores the three but that was the most dominant Scheifele and Wheeler have been, going both ways."

Ehlers added an assist, Scheifele finished with a goal and two assists, while Wheeler had three helpers.

Ehlers picked up a pass on the fly from defenceman and ripped a shot that beat Talbot high to the blocker side at 16:48 of the middle frame. Credit Wheeler with orchestrating Ehlers’ second tally. The Winnipeg captain made a nifty move down low and, instead of shooting, slid an across-the-crease pass to his wide-open linemate.

Full marks to the Jets for a defensively responsible, hard-checking effort in the third period with the Oilers pressing. But Ehlers got the only goal to seal the win.

The Jets close out the three-game road trip Thursday night against the Canucks.

Dustin Byfuglien was held out of the lineup with an injury and is listed as "day to day." The big blue-liner hasn’t skated since tweaking something in Saturday’s defeat in Calgary. took his place in the lineup, making his NHL debut in a pressure-packed situation, and looked very comfortable working alongside veteran Toby Enstrom.

Meanwhile, Marko Dano dressed in place of Joel Armia on the club’s fourth line. Armia had gone pointless and was a minus-4 in the first two games of the year.

Mark Letestu, a Jet killer the last couple of seasons, was held off the board.

The 32-year-old centre has nine goals and a pair of assists in 16 career games against Winnipeg, including five goals in three straight victories last season. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/jets/keeping-a-level-head-will-be-key-to-jets- success-this-season-says-little-450006663.html

Keeping a level head will be key to Jets' success this season, says Little

By: Jason Bell

EDMONTON — The problems facing the Winnipeg Jets seem to be happening, quite obviously, in the NHL club's own end of the rink.

Give up 13 goals in just two games and it's pretty clear to all that protection around the net is inadequate. Just ask the folks on Twitter who live and die with defenceman 's wanderlust.

But the Jets maintain it's the space between their ears that's the real trouble spot.

Winnipeg has suffered back-to-back lopsided defeats to begin the 2017-18 NHL season. On Saturday night, Calgary thrilled its fans with a 6-3 come-back triumph over Winnipeg in the Flames' home-opener. Three nights before, the Jets disappointed their supporters after getting thumped 7-2 by the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs in the kick-off to the season for both teams.

The Jets had smooth take-offs in both contests, out-playing and out-chancing the Leafs before self-destructing and yielding three goals in the final four minutes.

In Calgary, Winnipeg scored shorthanded, on the power play and five-on-five to grab a 3-1 first- period lead but became unravelled as the Flames fired five unanswered to take command.

Veteran centre said it's not the Xs and Os the squad is struggling with — instead, there's a panic that infiltrates when the club starts to feel the tide turning.

"It's just handling the momentum changes in the game, and you saw that (Saturday) night," he said. "We had another great first period, then they started to creep back into the game. They start to get some energy and they were flying around, and we kind of froze. We didn't really know what to do.

"That's the biggest thing, how to handle and respond to those situations. When you get scored against, making sure you have a couple of really good shifts right after that, just to keep yourself in the game."

He said maintaining a level head under duress is a difficult thing when winning is so vitally important for a club that hasn't, historically, experience much success.

Little said it's on the veterans to demonstrate a calmness in their play — and that should spread through the entire group.

"It's on the older players... to let (younger Jets) know we can weather this. It's on the younger guys, too. They need to grow up fast. They're some of our better players in this dressing room. We're asking a lot of them to be mature and play a veteran-style of game. I think we're going to need that if we're going to have success."

Josh Morrissey, in just his second NHL season, said carving out an appropriate response when the opposition pushes back is the responsibility of every player.

That means sticking to a game plan that was working early, and not improvising when pressure builds.

"It's managing the puck in certain situations in the game. You feel that once they score, obviously, you have a two- or three-minute window where the other team presses pretty hard and that's where you have to respond with simple plays and not give them anything easy," said Morrissey.

"When the other teams gets momentum and you lose a little bit, it sounds crazy but that's when you have to be a little bit calm and have some composure."

The Jets continue the search for their first victory tonight when they face the at 8 p.m. CT.

Head coach Paul Maurice was asked how one teaches a team to be unflappable.

"There's a lot of pieces that go to that. Experience is one of them, experience in the good and the bad and living through it," he said. "There are momentum shifts in every game, and it's not the change in momentum that gets you in trouble, it's your reaction to it — the mistake that you make after it gets to even, not really the mistake that got you to even where you change your mindset. Simple hockey, right? That's what we're trying to get to."

The pressure players are putting on themselves has become a burden, Maurice said.

"It's a good bunch of guys. They're trying to make the in October. It's like we're playing the deciding game every night, and when it got away from us we're carrying too much weight," he said. "We've got to play harder, compete harder, but we've got to do it through relaxing and playing the game and occasionally breathing. You've got to take one in every once in a while and hit the re-set button, go out and play."

Connor Hellebuyck will take over the Jets crease against the Oilers, giving Steve Mason a reprieve after the recent onslaught, said Maurice.

"Steve's had enough. I mean, he made some great, great saves (Saturday) and he's not getting a lot of breaks around him and in front of the net, either. So, Helley goes in. It's the right time."

He wouldn't discuss any other personnel moves. Forward Marko Dano and defencemen Ben Chiarot and Tucker Poolman were healthy scratches in Calgary.

Two of the club's leaders, captain Blake Wheeler and defenceman Dustin Byfuglien, were absent from practice, but Maurice indicated it was a 'maintenance day' for both and they'll play tonight.

Winnipeg Sun http://www.winnipegsun.com/2017/10/10/jets-goalie-hellebuyck-stands-tall-in-win-over-oilers

Jets goalie Hellebuyck stands tall in win over Oilers

BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN

EDMONTON — Connor Hellebuyck was given a tough assignment, but was ready for the test.

Used in just under one period of work in relief during the first two games of the season, Hellebuyck got the start against the high-octane Edmonton Oilers and had to be sharp.

But after making 21 saves during the first period — and catching a bit of a break when a Milan Lucic shot rattled off the iron — Hellebuyck stood tall and helped the Jets earn a 5-2 victory on Monday at Rogers Place.

“A win is a win and I’m really proud of the guys in front of me,” said Hellebuyck, who finished with 37 saves as the Jets improved to 1-2. “Everybody really dug in and dug deep and we pulled out a team win. I was seeing a lot of pucks and that means the guys in front of me are doing the right things.”

The Jets close out this three-game swing through western Canada on Thursday against the .

You might say Jets Paul Maurice played a hunch in making his decision to start Hellebuyck, who had an 0-4 record to go along with a 4.76 goals-against average and .857 save% in four prior appearances against the Oilers.

But Hellebuyck got the job done between the pipes and offensively, the Jets were led by their top line of Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, who combined for four goals and 10 points in the contest.

They also did a great job defensively, which was equally important against the high-octane Oilers’ offence, which was kept in check.

Jets defenceman Dmitry Kulikov came up with his best effort of the season, scoring his first goal with his new team and adding an assist on Scheifele’s third goal in as many games, which opened the scoring.

But once again, the Jets could not build on a good start.

A defensive breakdown and a turnover by Kulikov once again plagued the Jets during the second period, when Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored goals 40 seconds apart to even the score.

In an effort to avoid another meltdown, Maurice called a timeout to try to help his team take a deep breath.

Instead of watching the house of cards fall to the ground, the Jets were able to stem the tide and got a pair of goals from Ehlers to restore the two-goal cushion after two periods of play.

“First of all it was a great timeout. Great timing for it,” said Wheeler. “It was just a great time to slow it down and remind everyone what we’re looking for. Straight lines, nothing fancy, don’t reinvent the wheel. We just needed to bang out a few good shifts, try to get the momentum back in our favour and I thought we did that. Go figure, shortly thereafter, we bang home a couple and take over the game.

“There probably won’t be a single game we play all year where there’s no adversity and nothing goes against us and it’s just smooth sailing. It just doesn’t happen in this league. So we need to learn how to deal with that.”

Ehlers added an insurance goal with 1:18 left in the third period to complete the natural hat trick and give him a four-point night.

“When does that not feel good,” said Ehlers, who recorded his first points of the season after signing a seven-year contract extension. “I play with two great players, where it’s just backdoor tap-ins. We played simple, hard and fast and were able to find those holes. We’ve got to find a way to keep that going.”

This was exactly the type of effort the Jets needed to restore their faith in what they’re trying to do. After two poor defensive efforts, the Jets still give up a few too many quality opportunities, but they didn’t crumble under pressure.

With all of the talk about expectations being on the rise, the Jets can ill-afford a flat October. And after talking about needing to show more urgency, the Jets did exactly that.

“There wasn’t any panic,” said Wheeler. “The first two games probably went as bad as you could script it. That being said, guys were coming to the rink with a good mentality, trying to get better. That’s a good sign when your team responds like that.”

Playing without veteran defenceman Dustin Byfuglien, who is day-to-day with a lower-body issue, the Jets didn’t miss a beat as Tucker Poolman made his NHL debut.

After recording one assist and 15 shots on goal in six pre-season games, Poolman sat out the first two games as a healthy scratch.

But when his first opportunity to play in an NHL game presented itself, Poolman quickly showed he was ready.

Poolman, who turned pro after his junior season with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, showed plenty of composure with and without the puck as he was used mostly on a pairing with Toby Enstrom.

Byfuglien’s absence also meant an expanded role for Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba, who logged a game-high 26:50 of ice time while being used in all situations. http://www.winnipegsun.com/2017/10/10/poolman-makes-nhl-debut-for-jets

Poolman makes NHL debut for Jets

BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN

EDMONTON – - Tucker Poolman had been on stand-by and the Winnipeg Jets rookie defenceman finally got the call he’s been waiting for.

Poolman, who earned a job on the 23-man roster thanks to a strong training camp and pre- season, replaced Dustin Byfuglien for Monday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers and started on a pairing with Toby Enstrom.

“It’s exciting. We’ll see what happens but either way, you’ve got to prepare so you’re ready,” Poolman said this morning, when his status was still up in the air. “Mostly when old friends, coaches or family will call, that’s when I think about the journey and kind of savour it. But other than that, I’ve been focusing on the days here.”

As is the case with many players making their NHL debut, Poolman, 24, was sent out for the customary solo lap during the pre-game warm-up before his teammates joined him.

Byfuglien had 25:10 of ice time in Saturday’s 6-3 loss to the , but used Sunday as a maintenance day and didn’t skate again on Monday, so it’s likely he was scratched because of a minor injury.

Poolman, who turned pro after finishing his junior season with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, has been trying to soak up everything he can while he’s up with the big club.

“It’s like watching video with the systems and seeing different tendencies of different guys,” said Poolman, when asked what he’s noticed from watching NHL games from the press box. “I’ve been watching the defencemen mostly, just trying to see if there is anything I’ve been missing or different things I can focus on (when) I get out there.

“The first day coach talked to me and said to always be ready, grind it out and be prepared at all times.”

Poolman showed his versatility during the pre-season, as he played on both the left and right sides at different points.

“It was good to get reps on both sides for sure,” said Poolman, who was chosen by the Jets in the fifth round (127th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft. “It doesn’t really matter what side to me. I’m comfortable with both.”

Poolman is encouraged by the way his body has responded after having bilateral shoulder surgery during the off-season.

“It was kind of a question mark when you go out for the first game or the first practice, you don’t know how you’re going to respond,” said Poolman. “But it was a good summer (of recovery) and I’ve been happy so far with my body.”

IN AND OUT The Jets made one other lineup change for Monday’s game, inserting Marko Dano onto the fourth line for Joel Armia.

Armia, who suffered a lower-body injury during the pre-season, has no points and was minus- four in two games while averaging only 10:48 of ice time per game.

Armia was also demoted from the third line to the fourth line.

“Just some quickness,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice, when asked what’s been missing from Armia’s game. “His injury in training camp set him back. He’s got a good set of hands, but when you’re feet aren’t going, you have a tendency to turn the puck over like we’ve seen a couple of times in his first two.

“So we’ve got to get those legs back right, so he can get himself back into the holes and make the plays that he can make.”

It was the second game of the season for Dano, who suited up in the opener but was scratched on Saturday.

BACK ON THE BOARD When Jets winger Brandon Tanev potted a shorthanded marker on Saturday against the Calgary Flames, it was his first NHL goal since Nov. 4 of 2016, when he scored twice against the .

“It was nice to get one, it had been a while and it gets the confidence going,” said Tanev, who snapped a 40-game drought. “It tells you that your offensive abilities are there. If you continue to play your way, the chances will come. It’s nice to contribute offensively when you can, especially in a special-teams situation.”

Tanev had two goals and nine points in 23 games with the Manitoba Moose last season.

While he isn’t known for his offensive abilities, Tanev is trying to leave his mark on the kill – though he was on the ice for two of the four power-play goals the Jets had surrendered during the first two games.

LEAVING HIS MARK There’s been plenty of chatter about Kris Versteeg enjoying success against the Jets during his career, but let’s not forget about Oilers centre Mark Letestu.

Letestu, a fourth-line pivot who also sees time on the power play, had nine goals and 11 points in 15 games against the Jets during his career going into Monday’s match-up.

Although McDavid will understandably be the focal point, but the Jets would be well served to keep an eye on Oilers centre Mark Letestu, who has nine goals (three on the power play, two while shorthanded and two game-winners) and 11 points in 15 career games against them.

“Recently I’ve had a good run against them,” said Letestu. “Some players have more than one, I just only have one. It’s one of those things where some guys feel comfortable in certain situations or get breaks or what have you. With my role on the power play – and how many penalties they’ve taken over the past few years has probably played a role in that. But they’ve tried to cut down on that, so I may not get as many looks.”

Was Letestu expecting a shadow or any extra attention?

“I’m sure I’m not getting the highlight treatment on the pre-scouts,” said Letestu.

AROUND THE GLASS The Jets’ primary affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, split a pair of games against the Grand Rapids Griffins last weekend, losing 5-3 and winning 7-2…Centre Mike Sgarbossa chipped in two goals and four points in the two games to lead the Moose in scoring, while (two goals, three points), Jack Roslovic (one goal, three points) and Brendan Lemieux (one goal, three points) all had strong weekends offensively…Goalie Michael Hutchinson made 36 saves for the Moose to pick up his first AHL victory since he played for the St. John’s IceCaps during the 2013-14 campaign…The Moose face the in their home opener on Friday at Bell MTS Place.

Canadian Press http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/winnipeg-jets-edmonton-oilers-recap-1.4346472

Ehlers' hat trick leads Jets over Oilers for 1st victory of season Winnipeg forward adds an assist for 4-point night

By Shane Jones, The Canadian Press

Nikolaj Ehlers hit the scoresheet for the first time this season in dramatic fashion on Monday night.

The left-winger had a hat trick and an assist as the Winnipeg Jets captured their first win of the young season by defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2.

"We all knew what we needed to do and are capable of," Ehlers said. "We didn't do that the first two games, but we showed it tonight. We played good tonight, simple and fast. We were able to find the holes. We just have to be able to find a way to keep that going."

Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists and Dmitry Kulikov also scored for the Jets (1-2-0).

Blake Wheeler picked up three helpers and felt it was just a matter of time before Winnipeg found its footing, despite a tough start to the campaign.

"There wasn't any panic, even though the first two games were about as bad as you could script it," he said. "Guys were still coming to the rink with a good mentality and trying to get better. It was a good sign, when your team responds like this and everybody does their job. These are the types of results you can expect when everyone does that."

Oilers drop 2nd straight Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins replied for the Oilers (1-2-0), who have lost two straight.

"We were giving up breakaways and odd-man rushes. When you do that you're going to end up on the losing side more often than not," said Oilers forward Milan Lucic. "We get a couple of days to regroup and go over what we need to do better, because the last two games, the chances that we've given up, is definitely unacceptable."

Connor Hellebuyck picked up the win in net by making 37 saves. Cam Talbot turned away 38- of-43 shots in defeat.

Edmonton outshot Winnipeg 12-3 in the first nine minutes of the game, but it was the Jets who struck first as Scheifele corralled a shot in front of the net and then sent it past Talbot for his third of the season.

The Jets made it 2-0 before the first was over as Kulikov was given far too much space and was able to beat Talbot with a hard wrist shot.

The Oilers finally got on the board 13 minutes into the second period as Connor McDavid fought for the puck behind the net and then fed it in front to Draisaitl, who sent it past Hellebuyck.

Edmonton tied the game just 40 seconds later as Nugent-Hopkins split the defence and scored to make it 2-2.

Ehlers nets hat trick Winnipeg surged back in front three minutes later with a pair of goals by Ehlers, who picked the top corner on a three-on-two break and then made it 4-2 just over a minute after that by converting a perfect feed from Blake Wheeler into a wide-open net.

Scheifele worked hard to get Ehlers the natural hat trick, and did so with a perfect power-play pass with 1:14 remaining in the third period.

Edmonton Sun http://www.edmontonsun.com/2017/10/10/jones-edmonton-oilers-lacking-will-against-winnipeg- jets

Jones: Edmonton Oilers lacking will against Winnipeg Jets

BY TERRY JONES, EDMONTON SUN

The Edmonton Oilers, sometime between their opener and the flight to Vancouver and the return trip home, forgot the identity they’d forged last season and especially in the playoffs.

They tried to win with skill without applying the will.

Edmonton had become a tough building to play in late last season. But it wasn’t last night.

The shocking thing about the game was how Mark Scheifele’s line outplayed Connor McDavid’s line – the the point head coach Todd McLellan had to break the line up, moving Leon Draisaitl down to centre the third line and Kailer Yamoamoto up to the first.

The defence that played so well for openers provided gift-wrapped opportunities all night.

Ryan Strome may have put himself in position to be the fans whipping boy.

There were a few helmets that weren’t screwed on straight.

McLellan, I’m sure has an entire shopping list of items to bring to the attention of the team that the betting lines have favored to make it to the final.

The shame, other than what the 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets did to the standings, is what it did to what the Oilers had been building at Rogers Place.

A year ago, when the Oilers checked into their palatial new downtown arena, there was no home-ice advantage.

The crowds seemed to be dominated by the corporate crowd and most of them seemed to be more looking around in awe than watching the game itself. To some extent that may even have been true with the players.

The ice was brutal, no better than a three or a four on a scale of 10. And the decimal level of the crowd was about the same as the public library.

But then, about December, it started to build. And build. And build. And by the playoffs, predictably considering the Edmonton Oilers hadn’t been involved in them for a record-equaling 10 straight seasons, it grew louder than ever before.

By the end of the season the Oilers had embraced the place for all it was worth and put together a nine-game winning streak at the end of the regular season schedule.

Last night, after scoring a 3-0 shutout over the Calgary Flames to open the season at home the Oilers returned from an ugly outing in Vancouver with a chance to make it an 11-game win streak, their longest such streak since going 11-0-3 from Nov. 15, 1989 to Jan. 6, 1990.

The team that took the to Game 7 in the Pacific Division final and played a near-perfect opening game against the Flames, looked like they were going to use home ice for all it was worth against the winless Jets.

But a funny thing happened on the way to collecting another home win.

Despite outshooting the Jets 22-11 in the first period, they were down 2-0. And despite Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scoring 40 seconds apart in the second period to tie it up, they were back down by two at the end of the period and those shots were now 29-28 for Winnipeg.

And in the end Winnipeg had a 43-38 edge.

Shots didn’t have much to do with it, however.

Every season there are a few picked-to-click teams that get off to a bad trip and a few forecasted-to-fail outfits that get out of the gate great.

This year Nashville, Dallas, Minnesota and Edmonton causing their fans some early angst while the are 2-0 and haven’t played a home game yet.

The Oilers were given the gift of a schedule built to get out of the gate great. They have four of their first five at home with Ottawa here Saturday and Carolina the following Tuesday. Then they hit the road to Chicago, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh before returning to Rogers Place to finish out the month against Dallas and Washington.

Sometimes a team needs a “good” loss to deliver a wake-up call. A team like the Oilers ought not to require two. http://www.edmontonsun.com/2017/10/10/oilers-humbled-in-loss-to-jets

Oilers humbled in loss to Jets

BY ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI

If the Edmonton Oilers thought the slumping and reeling Winnipeg Jets were just the pushover they needed to get their house back in order, they were wrong.

Their house looks a bit of a mess Monday after a humbling 5-2 loss to a previously winless team that gave up 13 goals in first two games of the season.

The Jets built 2-0 and 4-2 leads in dropping the hometown Oilers to 1-2 on a season that was supposed to be a quick and brilliant ascent to the top.

It’s not just that they lost, but how they lost that really bothers the head coach. Getting out- hustled at home shouldn’t be acceptable.

“The big concern is where we are with the mental state,” said Todd McLellan. “We’re not near competitive enough. We’re not outworking teams. It feels like it in moments of the game, but consistently from minutes one to 60 the last two games we haven’t come close to outworking teams.

“And structurally we’re about as loose as we can be. We're missing assignments. Our responsibility level (isn't good).”

The Jets top line lit up Edmonton’s and that’s a big part of where the game went south.

“It starts with your star players,” said McLellan, who broke up the Connor McDavid, Leon Draisialtl line in the third period after they were on for three goals against in the first 40 minutes. “Your stars have to be superstars every night on both sides of the puck. We didn't quite get it done with our star players."

It’s too early to panic, but it’s not too early to notice the Oilers need to tighten up in a lot of areas if they’re going to put a stop to the losing. For the second straight game their defensive zone coverage wasn’t nearly good enough and for the second night in a row the goalie at the other end of the ice looked all world.

“As it’s not going in in the first 10 minutes we begin to cheat, we begin to loop, we want to build speed when we should be checking,” said McLellan. “The other team that’s disciplined and plays a well structured game takes advantage of it. We’ve seen it two nights in a row.”

And the defensive side of the puck is forced to withstand much more than it can handle right now.

“We were giving up breakaways and odd man rushes,” said Milan Lucic. “When you do that you’re going to end up on the losing side more often than not.

“We get a couple of days to regroup and go over what we need to do better, because the last two games, the chances that we’ve given up is definitely unacceptable.”

McLellan believes he has the personnel on defence to ride this out, but just isn’t seeing it in action yet.

“My belief is the six or seven we have here are good enough, they’re just not playing well enough.”

It was a quick start for the Oilers, who got an early power play and found themselves outshooting Winnipeg 10-2 by the seven minute mark.

But they still trailed 1-0 when Mark Scheifele batted down a pass from defenceman Dmitry Kulikov in the slot and snapped it into the net before Cam Talbot had a chance to get set. And with the shots 12-4 Edmonton, it was 1-0 Winnipeg.

Winnipeg went up 2-0 when the Oilers let Kulikov walk to the top of the faceoff circle and whip a wrist shot past Talbot, who wasn’t screened on the play at 16:27.

The Oilers kept it coming, though, and finally broke through in quick and dramatic fashion with two goals 40 seconds apart midway through the second period, one from Draisiatl and one from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the very next shift. After no goals on 22 shots in the first period, they had two on six in the second.

But the Jets appeared the more desperate of the two teams and showed it late in the second by restoring their two-goal lead on back-to-back goals from Nik Ehlers at 16:49 and 17:57.

The Jets outshot Edmonton 19-7 in the second.

Ehlers completed the hat trick at 18:46 of the third.

“There wasn’t enough,” said centre Mark Letestu. “Not enough players, not enough push. It’s a problem. It’s been two games that way. But we have to fix it. Soon. These are important points, just like the ones at the end of the year. We’ll fix it, no doubt.”

Edmonton Journal http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/edmonton-oilers/top-winnipeg-jets-line-soars- grounds-edmonton-oilers-dynamic-duo

Top Winnipeg Jets line soars, grounds Edmonton Oilers' dynamic duo

By Jim Matheson

Under hoary hockey cliches, No. 1 is “your best players have to be your best players.”

So, yes, Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers had 14 shots directed at Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot Monday, eight on net, four blocked and two that went wide, scored three and could have had four in the visitors’ 5-2 victory, but Talbot stoned him on a breakaway.

He was better than Leon Draisaitl.

And Jets centre Mark Scheifele had the game’s first goal and set up Ehlers for two sitters.

He was better than Connor McDavid.

And even though Talbot faced 32 shots over the last 40 minutes with only defenceman Dmitry Kulikov’s uncontested wrister from the high slot one that maybe he’d like back — this wasn’t Dustin Byfuglien, out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, unloading a slap shot — the other far- less-hyped Connor — Winnipeg goalie Hellebucyk — made 20 stops in the first 20 minutes.

Hellebucyk wasn’t interested in talking after the morning skate, but his play spoke volumes.

He was better than Talbot, certainly early.

“The responsibility level. It starts with your star players,” said Oiler coach Todd McLellan. “Your stars have to be superstars every night on both sides of the puck. One line really did a good job of it and they wore white. One line on our team wore orange and we didn’t quite get it done.”

McDavid, who was phenomenal in the Oilers’ opening game with a natural hat-trick, and Draisaitl, who got one of the Oiler goals off a McDavid feed, were both on for three Jets scores. In the third, McLellan broke them up, putting Draisaitl at centre on a line with Anton Slepyshev and Iiro Pakarinen.

Was McLellan looking for more pop in shuffling the lines?

“Maybe I was looking for defence,” he said wryly.

Ehlers, Scheifele and Jets captain Blake Wheeler, their No. 1 line, were all plus-3 on the night. Ehlers had four points, the other two three each. Wheeler was playing his 700th NHL game.

“Yes, Nikky (Ehlers) scores three (second career hat-trick) but that’s the most dominant Scheifele and Wheeler have been, going both ways … and those were the best two periods I’ve seen Mark Scheifele play, just driving the game, smart and hard,” said Jets coach Paul Maurice, finally able to breathe after his team was clobbered 7-2 and 6-3 their opening two games.

But their entire top line was dynamite.

“How they get the puck from our end to their end, it was simple. They got pucks off, got pucks deep and made real good decisions,” said Maurice. “Scheifs backchecked … and those are important things from a leadership point of view. That’s as good a game as I’ve seen him play.”

This isn’t totally why the Oilers lost 5-2, of course — their second straight bad game after they whipped Calgary 3-0 in the home-opener. Defensively, they were R-O-T-T-E-N, yes in capital letters.

It’s looking very much like they miss Andrej Sekera considerably more than we thought on the blue-line. Nobody’s saying Sekera is Erik Karlsson, but he plays 20 minutes a night and now young Matt Benning is being tasked with playing higher up the food chain than he should as a second-year pro, in the No. 4 hole. He was very good the first night and has struggled badly the last two.

“There’s hesitation in his game, a lot of mishandles of the puck. The pucks seem to get caught up between his stick and his feet. He’s an honest kid, who’ll keep trying to improve,” said McLellan.

The responsibility level. It starts with your star players.Todd McLellan And Talbot, who got the hook after three goals in seven shots in Vancouver, fell on his own sword.

He didn’t like his game at all, even though he made half a dozen outstanding stops.

He has an .896 save percentage through his first three games, even with a shutout.

“They’re saves you’ve seen me make before, that I expect to make and my teammates expect me to make,” said Talbot. “I have to give us a chance. Tonight, I didn’t do that, again.

“Once the guys start to have confidence in me back there, then they’ll start to have confidence playing in front of me. It starts from the net out. I have to be better.”

Talbot owned it, but really, it’s a team thing.

Nobody’s kissing their ring after they got within one game of the Western Conference final last spring.

“After that first game, maybe we thought it would be a little easier,” said Talbot. “But it only gets harder from here on out. Teams start to lock it down differently and teams start to create.” http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/seven-things-wrong-right-now- with-the-edmonton-oilers-after-5-2-loss-to-winnipeg-jeg

Seven things wrong with the Edmonton Oilers after 5-2 loss to Winnipeg Jets

By David Staples,

It’s not time to panic. Nor is it time to celebrate overly much if you happen to be a Peter Chiarelli basher.

But after losing to and getting out-hustled by two teams the Edmonton Oilers have usually beaten in recent years, the Vancouver Canucks and the Winnipeg Jets, it’s time to mention what’s not going right just now for the Oilers.

1. The team is getting outworked in puck battles. It seems to think it can win on reputation and pure skill,and clearly is putting way too much stock in all the glowing articles written about them in the pre-season, most of them by me of course.

2. Larsson and Klefbom are off to an OK start, but Kris Russell and Matt Benning are struggling and and Eric Gryba weren’t much better against Winnipeg. On the Jets first goal, Russell and Benning were a bit slow to react in the slot after a -off-Leon Draisaitl turnover. They were again major culprits on a Grade A chance for the Jets at 11:44 of the second. Right at the end of the period, Benning allowed Nikolaj Ehlers in on a breakaway. They were also major culprits on the fifth Jets goal. Ouch.

3. At least in his own end, Kailer Yamamoto looks very much like a major junior player, blowing coverage on the Jets first goal, failing to either stick with Kulikov of the Jets, or switch off in coverage. Too many turnovers right now.

4. So far off-season acquisitions Ryan Strome and Jussi Jokinen have not impressed, looking more like Ryan Slowme and Jussi Slowkinen than players who will help the Oilers.

5. The top line of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl killed it in the first game, and scored one beauty against the Jets, but the team needs both of them leading a line. With almost all of the eggs in one basket, not much good happens when they’re not on the ice. And against the Jets, some bad happened with McDavid and Draisaitl out there, especially when they both went on the attack at the end of a Jets power play in the second, which led to a four-on-two rush against the Oilers culminating in a dangerous and fatal Nikolaj Ehlers slot shot.

6. There doesn’t seem to be any real chemistry on any line but McDavid, Draisaitl and Maroon. RNH, Milan Lucic and have looked OK, but the combinations are out of whack for now.

7. Cam Talbot had a weak game against Vancouver and while he made a ton of saves vs the Jets, he also set in two mid-to-outer slot shots by Ehlers and Kulikov. The Oilers are just like every other team in the NHL: they need to have the best goalie on the ice if they’re going to win most nights.

Of course, it’s early. Expectations were sky high for this team heading into the year and the Oil played a near perfect game in beating Calgary on opening night. Just now they’ve faced two extremely hungry and motivated teams and have been reminded just how close the margin is in the NHL between victory and defeat. http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers-snapshots-hendricks-gets-warm- reception

Edmonton Oilers snapshots: Hendricks gets warm reception

By Jim MathesonJIM MATHESON

Matt Hendricks got a nice welcome back video highlight package on the big screen Monday but he couldn’t acknowledge it from the ice or the bench because he’s hobbling with a bad foot.

The former Edmonton Oilers winger who endeared himself to the fans here with his kamikaze style — remember the slapper in Dallas that crushed his cup — was hurt blocking a shot in the dying stages against in exhibition.

He’s on the Jets three-game road trip to Calgary, here and Vancouver, but only as a spectator.

“It’s for the team right? You do what you’ve gotta do,” shrugged Hendricks as he discussed going to the wall to block a shot in pre-season.

“There was about 25 seconds to go and they had pulled their goalie. I wasn’t hoping it wasn’t too bad but it swelled up really bad. They took another look at it, and it wasn’t as good as the first look.”

So, he wasn’t banging bodies Monday.

“I was really looking forward to playing here, lots of great memories, good friends,” he said.

“Putting on the Oilers jersey for the first time and all the history that comes with that. Playing at Rexall and being there for the last game there when all the ex-Oilers were in attendance. That was an awesome experience for me, and being part of a team opening up the new rink … being part of a team that finally took a step into the playoffs. Those are the big points that stand out for me,” he said. “I’m glad I got to come on the trip and see some friendly faces again.”

Hendricks worked with the armed forces people every game here. He’s an American from Minnesota but embraced the Canadian military, men and women. His father was a U.S. Marine.

“They (America and Canada) go hand in hand. How great they are, with their character,” said Hendricks.

He’s followed the anthem protest of American NFL players closely, of course.

“It’s a personal decision. I’m not one to knee. I wouldn’t be because of what the flag stands for in my family and the song goes with it. But I respect their choice to make,” he said.

***

Oilers centre Mark Letestu, who sat beside Hendricks in the Oiler room, went into the game with nine goals in 15 career games against the Jets — five in three last season. Five of his first six goals on the season actually. He only has 84 lifetime, so that’s better than 10 per cent against just one club. Every player has the one team they light it up against, of course.

“Some guys have more than one team,” laughed Letestu, casting a look to his right to neighbour Connor McDavid’s stall. “I just only have one. I don’t expect it to last forever.”

The Jets haven’t thought of a shadow on him, yet.

“Geez, I hope not,” Letestu said. “I’m sure I’m not getting the highlight treatment on their pre- scout. There’s a few guys more dangerous than me.”

***

Jets winger Patrik Laine was making his first trip back here since beating his own goalie Connor Hellebuyck last December when the puck popped into the high slot and he was trying to clear it to safety, but instead shot it into his own net.

“I’ll try to score into the other net now,” Laine jokingly told a couple of Finnish reporters Monday morning. Of course, it was Letestu’s shot that created the Laine mistake last year.

“I was just trying for a rebound so Connor or (Milan) Lucic could put it in,” said Letestu.

***

Former Oilers centre Todd Marchant, now head of player development for the Anaheim Ducks was in town to scout the game Monday. His family were evacuated from their house because of the wildfires in southern California. Their house is OK but they took belongings.

“Funny what kids take. My son Bradley took his laptop and Ipad. He said he didn’t need clothes,” said Marchant.

Grant Fuhr was also playing in a charity celebrity tournament in Napa, Calif., and fled. The hotel he and his wife Lisa were in burned to the ground shortly after they left.

***

The Oilers honoured former public relations head man Bill Tuele (1980-2004) with a nice photo on their Wall of Fame in the press box … Former NHL tough guy George Parros, now head of the NHL’s Player Safety (discipline) department was at the game … Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien who is nursing an undisclosed injury, was scratched.

Sportsnet.ca http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/mclellan-remind-oilers-win-mediocre-showings/

McLellan to remind Oilers ‘how to win’ after mediocre showings

By Mark Spector

EDMONTON — They are serial worriers, these head coaches.

You see the light at the end of the tunnel? They see the speeding locomotive behind it. It’s just their way.

So to get an idea of what Todd McLellan is thinking this morning, his team off to a 1-2 start, its work ethic buried somewhere deep in the press clippings and Stanley Cup predictions they’ve been pouring over for a month or two, we take you back to his Kelowna, B.C., patio on Sept. 7.

There, over a morning coffee and a smoky Lake Okanagan, McLellan answered a question about the perils of expectation. What he feared might happen to a team that had its first taste of success in a decade last spring, and spent a summer hearing about how good it was.

“Complacency comes into play. You rest on your laurels and you get stung for it,” he said. “I don’t expect any of our players to be like that, but we have to be aware of it.”

He was only getting started that morning.

“The stress that’s on the team is different now, because of expectations. So, when things aren’t going well — and we will have those times — how does the group react, behave, and treat each other?

“Players have to remember — and they will be reminded daily — how hard it is to win.”

Adversity took a red-eye flight into northern this October, arriving in full force after only three games of an NHL season that was supposed to be a crowning run for Edmonton. There is no evidence of finger pointing or infighting after a 5-2 whipping by the Winnipeg Jets Monday, but that part of being reminded on “how hard it is to win” is about to be tattooed on to 23 rear ends.

After a mandated day off Tuesday, these Oilers can count on a three-day master class on the subject.

“I don’t think we remember how hard it is to win. I’ve experienced this in the past,” he said post- game Monday, a reference to a San Jose team he once coached that was good, but never found greatness. “You have to understand how hard it is. Our guys don’t get that yet.”

On a night when the Jets line of Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers (hat trick) and Blake Wheeler far outperformed the several versions of Connor McDavid’s line that McLellan sculpted, McLellan called out his best players.

“We’re not near competitive enough. We’re not outworking teams. Consistently from minutes one to 60 the last two games we haven’t come close to outworking teams,” he said. “Structurally we’re about as loose as we can be. We’re missing assignments. Our responsibility level (isn’t good).

“It starts with your star players. Your stars have to be superstars every night on both sides of the puck. We didn’t quite get it done with our star players.”

The risk here is to mitigate the Jets’ influence on Edmonton’s play. Winnipeg was desperate after a pair of heavy defeats to open its season, and the Jets played a superior brand of hockey. Connor Hellebuyck was fantastic — something not said often enough about a Jets goalie — on precisely the evening the team needed a superior performance in goal.

And across the way, Cam Talbot was faced with a pedigree of scoring chances that was far too high, yet still found his own game lacking. http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/wheeler-jets-effectiveness-oilers-saw-buy-everyone/ (VIDEO LINK)

WHEELER ON HIS TEAMS EFFECTIVENESS AGAINST OILERS " WHAT YOU SAW WAS A BUY IN FROM EVERYONE"

NHL.com https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-edmonton-oilers-game-recap/c-291771280

Ehlers scores natural hat trick for Jets in win against Oilers Wheeler, Scheifele each has three points, Hellebuyck makes 37 saves

By Derek Van Diest / NHL.com Correspondent

EDMONTON -- Nikolaj Ehlers scored a hat trick and had an assist to help the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Monday.

Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists, and Blake Wheeler had three assists for Winnipeg (1-2-0). Connor Hellebuyck made 37 saves in his first start of the season.

"We all knew what we needed to do and are capable of," Ehlers said. "We didn't do that the first two games, but we showed it tonight. We played good tonight, simple and fast. We were able to find the holes. We just have to be able to find a way to keep that going."

Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored, and goaltender Cam Talbot made 38 saves for Edmonton (1-2-0). The Oilers have lost two straight after shutting out the Calgary Flames 3-0 in the season opener.

Winnipeg allowed 13 goals in their first two losses of the season.

"I am very proud of the guys in front of me," Hellebuyck said. "Everyone really dug in and dug deep and pulled out a team win tonight."

Scheifele gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 8:56 of the first period.

Kulikov made it 2-0 at 16:27 with his first goal with Winnipeg. He took a drop pass from Ehlers in the slot and sent a wrist shot past Talbot.

Edmonton outshot Winnipeg 20-11 in the first period.

"The big concern is where we are with the mental state," Oilers coach Todd McLellan said. "We're not near competitive enough. We're not outworking teams. It feels like it in moments of the game, but consistently from minutes 1 to 60 the last two games we haven't come close to outworking teams, and structurally, we're about as loose as we can be. We're missing assignments."

Draisaitl scored at 12:53 of the second period to make it 2-1 on a pass from Connor McDavid.

Nugent-Hopkins tied it 2-2 40 seconds later, splitting the Jets defense and lifting a shot over Hellebuyck.

Ehlers scored 1:09 apart in the second to restore the Jets' two-goal lead. He kept the puck on a 3-on-2 rush and picked the corner on Talbot at 16:48 to make it 3-2. He scored again at 17:57 to put Winnipeg up 4-2.

"We do still have a young team and guys have to build confidence in themselves and respect the fact that the opposition has good players and bad things are going to happen," Wheeler said. "But all we can do is get back to our game and have confidence that we can prevail in the end."

Winnipeg outshot Edmonton 19-7 in the second.

Ehlers completed his second NHL hat trick at 18:46 of the third period to put Winnipeg up 5-2.

Hellebuyck made 12 saves in the third period for his first win against Edmonton in five career games.

"What I thought for Connor was so important, he looked calm when he didn't have control of the puck but it was two or three feet around him," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "He was able to hold his body position in some of those scrums."

Goal of the game Scheifele knocked the puck out of midair on his backhand in front of the Oilers net and took a quick forehand shot that beat Talbot. Winnipeg was being outshot 12-4 in the first period prior to the goal.

Saves of the game Hellebuyck made a pad save on a hard shot from Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom and stopped Ryan Strome on the rebound to keep Winnipeg up 1-0 at 14:02 of the first period.

Highlight of the game Wheeler slid a cross-crease pass through Klefbom to Ehlers, who scored his second goal of the game to restore Winnipeg's two-goal lead with 2:03 remaining in the second period.

They said it "I don't think we remembered how hard it is to win. I've experienced this in the past. You have to understand how hard it is. Our guys don't get that yet." -- Oilers coach Todd McLellan

"There wasn't any panic, even though the first two games were about as bad as you could script it. Guys were still coming to the rink with a good mentality and trying to get better. It was a good sign, when your team responds like this and everybody does their job. These are the types of results you can expect when everyone does that." -- Jets captain Blake Wheeler

Need to know Wheeler played his 700th NHL game. He has missed three games since the 2012-13 season. … McDavid has six assists in six career games against the Jets, but has yet to score against them. Winnipeg is the only Western Conference opponent McDavid has not scored against. … Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien did not play because of a lower-body injury.

What's next Jets: At the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SNV, TSN 3, NHL.TV) Oilers: Host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVA Sports, NHL.TV)

TSN.ca (VIDEO LINK) http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/confidence-and-chemistry-drive-jets-top-line~1228503

'Confidence and chemistry' drive Jets' top line

The trio of Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers combined for 10 points against the Oilers as the Jets got a much-needed win. Jamie McLennan breaks down their performance, and explains how Connor Hellebuyck could steal back the starting job if he finds a higher level of consistency.

TSN 1290 (AUDIO LINKS) http://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/lebrun-jets-poor-finishes-raise-questions-early-in-season- 1.879874

LeBrun: Jets poor finishes raise questions early in season

TSN Hockey insider Pierre LeBrun joins the Afternoon Ride to discuss the Winnipeg Jets 0-2 season start despite strong starts to their games. LeBrun also explains why it’s extremely unlikely to see trades in the first two months of the season. http://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/peacock-moose-showing-an-understanding-of-the-game- plan-1.879738

Peacock: Moose showing an understanding of the game plan

Manitoba Moose play-by-play voice Mitch Peacock speaks with Kevin Olszewski about the Moose's start to the season. www.winnipegjets.com https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/jets-top-oilers-5-2-for-first-win-of-the-regular-season/c- 291773486

Jets top Oilers 5-2 for first win of the regular season Ehlers nets second career hat trick; Hellebuyck stops 37 shots in win by Mitchell Clinton @MitchellClinton / WinnipegJets.com

EDMONTON, Alberta - The storyline was similar to Saturday night in Calgary, but with one big difference.

The Winnipeg Jets held a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes, and for the second straight game, their opponent rallied back to tie the game with two goals in 40 seconds.

That's where it all changed.

A time-out from head coach Paul Maurice seemed to calm the team down, and paved the way for Nikolaj Ehlers to score three straight goals, and help the Jets to a 5-2 win, their first victory of the regular season.

"That was a great time-out - great timing for it. I think we were saying the right things after they scored the first goal. They bang home a second one. It was a great time to slow it down and remind everyone what we're looking for," said Wheeler, who played in his 700th career NHL game tonight.

"Straight lines, nothing fancy, don't reinvent the wheel, now is not the time to go take the lead. We just need to bang out a few good shifts and try to get the momentum back in our favour. I thought we did that. Go figure, shortly there after we bang home a couple and take over the game."

The line of Ehlers, Wheeler, and Mark Scheifele combined for 10 points in the win. In the mind of Maurice though, it was how the line played defensively that stood out.

"Nik scores the three, but that's the most dominant Wheeler and Scheifele have been going both ways," said Maurice, who picked up his 137th win behind the Jets bench to become the new franchise leader. "Those are two periods in terms of all the things you want out of your leadership. Those are the two best periods I've seen Scheifele play, just driving the game.

"How they get the puck from our end to their end. It was simple. When there was nothing there, they got pucks deep, and made real good decisions. They played hard. Scheifs' back check in the second period to the off side, those are important things from a leadership point of view. "

Dmitry Kulikov's first point as a Jet helped his team open the scoring. He put the puck on net from the high slot, and Scheifele - moving from the corner to the front of the net - found the puck on his backhand just outside the crease. Reacting quickly, Scheifele spun around and sent a shot on goal, beating Talbot on the stick side for Scheifele's third goal in three games.

Kulikov followed his first point as a Jet by burying his first goal with the club to extend the lead. He took a drop pass from Nikolaj Ehlers near the top of the circle, and when the Oilers defenders backed off, Kulikov moved a few feet closer to Talbot, and ripped a wrist shot past the Edmonton netminder to make it 2-0.

Connor Hellebuyck was busy in the first period, making 20 of his 37 saves in the opening frame.

"I think that's what goalies are for. It's early in the year and we're finding our groove on our PK. One save leads to another, and now everyone is buzzing. Look at what we did at the end there, we pretty much shut them down," said Hellebuyck. "I'm really proud of the guys in front of me. I think everyone here really dug in and dug deep, and pulled out a team win tonight."

For the first 12 minutes of the second, the Jets kept the Oilers to five shots on Hellebuyck, but in a span of 40 seconds, Edmonton turned a 2-0 deficit into a tie game.

First, Connor McDavid corralled the puck in the Jets zone near the goal line to the left of Hellebuyck, and found a streaking Leon Draisaitl high in the Winnipeg zone. Draisaitl made a quick move around Bryan Little, and sent a wrist shot low stick side on Hellebuyck.

Then shortly after a Shawn Matthias chance, Darnell Nurse threaded a neutral zone pass to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who broke in on a partial break on Hellebuyck, and was able to lift a shot over a diving Hellebuyck and under the crossbar to tie the game up.

Three minutes later though, Nikolaj Ehlers turned the momentum back in the Jets favour. Coming over the Edmonton line with possession, Ehlers used defencemen Kris Russell as a partial screen, and sent a laser of a wrist shot off the inside of the post and in.

Just over 100 seconds later, Ehlers struck again. This time, Scheifele began the play down the wall by stopping up just below the hashmarks and sending a backhand pass to Wheeler, who found a lane between two Oilers defenders, creating a 2-on-1 from the top of the circle. The Jets captain slid a feed under the stick of Oscar Klefbom to Ehlers, who one-timed his second of the night past Talbot.

Ehlers completed the hat trick with 1:14 left in regulation, hammering a pass from Mark Scheifele on the power play into the yawning cage past Talbot's outstretched glove.

"I play with two great players where it's a lot of back door tap ins," said Ehlers. "It feels pretty good. We played well today. We played simple and hard, and played fast. We were able to find those holes. We have to find a way to keep that going."

Next up for the Jets is a match up with the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

ICE CHIPS Dustin Byfuglien didn't play in the win over Edmonton. The veteran was a late scratch due to a lower-body injury, and Maurice listed the defenceman as day-to-day.

With Byfuglien out, Tucker Poolman made his NHL debut paired with Toby Enstrom. The University of North Dakota alum had two shots on goal, two shot blocks, and one hit in 14:30 of ice time.

"He's just a smart defence man with the puck," said Maurice. "The two offensive zone face-offs at the end of the game, he doesn't get them blocked. He rips them back on the strong side boards. He's just a smart man." https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--jetstv-road-report/t-277437442/c-53341403

POSTGAME | JetsTV Road Report

Mitchell Clinton wraps up the Jets' 5-2 win over the Oilers with comments from the dressing room https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--paul-maurice/t-277437442/c-53340503

POSTGAME | Paul Maurice

Head Coach Paul Maurice addresses the media post-game at Rogers Place https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--nikolaj-ehlers/t-277437442/c-53340303

POSTGAME | Nikolaj Ehlers

Nikolaj Ehlers' comments following a three-goal effort in a 5-2 win over the Oilers https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--blake-wheeler/t-277437442/c-53340203

POSTGAME | Blake Wheeler

Blake Wheeler's comments following a 5-2 win over the Oilers https://www.nhl.com/jets/video/postgame--connor-hellebuyck/t-277437442/c-53339903

POSTGAME | Connor Hellebuyck

Connor Hellebuyck's comments following a 37-save performance vs. Edmonton