GAMEDAY: Oilers at Jets

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Jets start a five-game homestand on Tuesday night when they welcome the Edmonton Oilers to Canada Life Centre for the second time this season. The Jets are coming off a 2-3-0 road trip, which ended with a 3-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Sunday afternoon. With 11 games left on the schedule the team is trying to get their game back on track with the playoffs around the corner.

“It’s super important. Like I said, it was something that was creeping in and we couldn’t get a handle on it. Now, we’ve lost three in a row again and it’s not feeling really good," said Nikolaj Ehlers.

"So, what we can fix tonight is to go out there and play for each other. Work hard, outwork Edmonton and play the right way. So, that’s what we’re planning on doing.”

Jets head coach Rick Bowness had to watch four of the five games on the last road trip from home as he had minor medical procedure done back in the Manitoba capital. He will be back behind the bench this evening. Bowness said it was hard to not be with the team.

"You're not in the fight with them. That's what we all sign up for, to be in the fight. And when you see your team not playing as well as you know it's capable of, it's frustrating," said Bowness.

"And you see how we were Tuesday in New York (4-2 win), and then how in New Jersey, like, where did it go? That's what gets frustrating, when you know you're watching a team, Tuesday I'm watching with Judy and it's like, geez, we've got a good team, here. And then you say (chuckling), where did it go? So, yeah, that's frustrating."

The Jets are hoping to get back to the soild defensive play at five-on-five that they've become known for. Winnipeg went 34 games allowing three goals or less earlier in the season, that was one game away from the modern day record set by the 2015 Minnesota Wild.

“Yeah. Our five-on-five game has been very different from when we had the good stretch. The special teams, you want to get that going too, but overall you want your five-on-five game to be right and we know what we’re able to do when we play the right way and when we play well," said Ehlers.

"It’s not as easy as saying, ‘Hey, let’s go and play like we did during that 30-game stretch. It’s harder than that. But we want to find a way to get back to that game because we were a pretty good team back then."

Bowness feels things have slipped a bit over the past six weeks or so.

"It goes good, then it goes away, then we don't look very good. Then we get it back and then yeah. The consistency is the hardest thing for us to get," said Bowness.

"Defence is hard work. There's no shortcuts. Structure is hard work and getting ready to do it every night. That's the hard part: getting mentally ready to do it every night. That's what we were talking about this morning and that's what we're going to keep pushing."

The challenge ramps up another level with the Oilers arriving in town on a road trip that hasn't gone well. Edmonton dropped games in Toronto and Ottawa and gave up 11 goals in those losses. Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey will see a healthy dose of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl tonight. 

"Yeah, every time we play these guys they’re two of the best in the world and they have some of the best offensive players," said Morrissey.

"You include (Zach) Hyman getting 50 goals and their power play clicking, so it’s always a tough test and one that we need to be ready for as a group."

VILARDI GETTING CLOSER

Jets forward Gabe Vilardi took part of the early portion of the morning skate as he works his way back from an enlarged spleen. Vilardi was wearing a normal jersey and Bowness said that he will be skating with the team often as they see where Vilardi's conditioning is.

"Now he’s just, again, we have to push him to see how much discomfort there’s going to be when we really push him," said Bowness.

"It’s one thing to work him out on your own and everything else, but when you get one of our coaches pushing him we know how far we can push him. We’ve got to find out.”