WINNIPEG\ - The Jets continue their four game homestand tonight when they host the Edmonton Oilers at Canada Life Centre at 7 pm CT.
Winnipeg is looking to end a two-game losing streak following their 2-0 loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, the first time this season they have been shut out.
Winnipeg won the first meeting between these two Canadian rivals 3-2 in overtime in Edmonton back on October 21.
The big question coming into tonight is will Gabriel Vilardi play? The Jets forward has been working his way back from a sprained MCL for just over six weeks. Vilardi was asked about returning to the lineup after practice on Wednesday.
“Yeah, I’m just happy to be playing, it doesn’t really matter, I just want to play. We’re a really deep team, that’s a good thing. I haven’t played and these guys are 20 games in,” said Vilardi.
“It’s not like I have high expectations on myself. I can’t have the expectations for me to come in tomorrow and dominate or anything. I’m just going to try my best.”
PROJECTED LINEUP
The Jets had an optional skate this morning but here are the line rushes from Wednesday.
Connor-Scheifele-Ehlers
Perfetti-Namestnikov-Iafallo
Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton
Barron-Gustafsson-Vilardi
Morrissey-DeMelo
Dillon-Pionk
Samberg-Schmidt
Connor Hellebuyck will start again this evening; he has won four of his past five starts.
Should Vilardi play against the Oilers, the plan is to ease him back in. He skated with David Gustafsson and Morgan Barron on the Jets fourth line yesterday and was working with the top power play unit as well. Vilardi’s presence should provide a boost to the Jets power play which has just two goals over their last six games and is ranked 21st in the NHL.
At practice yesterday, Vilardi was moving back and forth from net front to the bumper position during the special team’s portion of the skate.
“I’d say it’s more interchangeable. I can be net front, I can be bumper,” said Vilardi.
"It’s just wherever the play kind of takes it. You’ll still see me at the net front.”
Power play issues and the fact the Jets have dropped two straight aside, the team still likes the way it is playing ahead of a challenging affair with the streaking Oilers, who look like they have put their early season struggles behind them after making a coaching change. Edmonton fired Jay Woodcroft and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch.
“We know they’ve been playing well as of late. We know their big guys have been flying so we expect a tough test,” said Mark Scheifele this morning.
“They’re a good team. Obviously, they went through a tough stretch there, but they’ve been playing great as of late, we must be ready for absolutely everything tonight.”
