WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Jets had two points slip though their fingers in a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. The Jets had a 1-0 lead going into the third period, but the Oilers scored three goals in 6:29 to win their fourth straight game. Winnipeg has now dropped three straight games and have just three goals in those losses. Cole Perfetti scored his eighth goal of the season with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor adding assists. Winnipeg has held their opponents to three goals or less in 12 straight games and will continue this homestand Saturday afternoon against the Chicago Blackhawks.
TOUGH LOSS
The Jets played a solid defensive game containing Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and company through two periods. But at the 13:11 mark of the third period, Darnell Nurse’s wrist shot fooled Connor Hellebuyck to tie the game at one. Gabriel Vilardi would take a holding the stick penalty at 16:36 and Draisaitl would score the game winning goal on the power play. Ryan McLeod would add an empty netter to round out the scoring. Edmonton outshot Winnipeg in the third 17-8 and Rick Bowness said after the game that faceoffs were one of the Jets problems, the Oilers won 71% of the draws tonight.
VILARDI’S BACK
After a six-week absence thanks to a sprained MCL, Gabriel Vilardi made his return to the Jets lineup on the fourth line with Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and Morgan Barron. Rick Bowness said the Jets were going to slowly bring the 24 -year-old into things and he stayed true to his word. Vilardi had four shifts in the first, five shifts in the second and six shifts in the third period and ended up with 13:02 and one shot on goal.
POWER PLAY
Vilardi joined the top unit on the power play to try and give a boost to the man advantage that had scored just twice in their previous six games (2-15, 13.3%). 42 seconds into their first opportunity, Cole Perfetti redirected a Mark Scheifele pass past Stuart Skinner to give the Jets a 1-0 lead in the opening period. The Jets did not cash in again on the power play and finished the night 1-for-3.
Obviously, it was nice to get a goal but what we’d go? 1-for-3? So still not in a game like that we need to capitalize on more,” said Perfetti.
“We need to get the puck in the net again, we had some good looks, some good chances.”
