GAME RECAP: Oilers 4, Jets 0

EDMONTON, AB - Starting the preseason off with a shutout 'W'.
Goaltenders Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard combined to make all 29 saves on Sunday night at Rogers Place as the Edmonton Oilers opened their exhibition slate with a 4-0 blanking of the Winnipeg Jets.
Defenceman Markus Niemelainen opened the scoring inside the first minute of action before a scoreless stretch of almost 49 minutes of regulation was broken by James Hamblin's goal infront of his hometown crowd midway through the third period.
Forwards Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway added insurance 27 seconds apart before the five-minute mark of the final frame, helping seal the Oilers a win on home ice to open up their seven-game pre-season schedule.
The Oilers travel finish off back-to-back exhibition games on Monday night with a road date against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.

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FIRST BLOOD

There's no better way to begin the preseason than finding the back of the net off your first attempt on goal.
Brad Malone no-looked a backhand pass from the right corner across the offensive zone and onto the tape of Niemelainen, who had all the space in the world between the blueline and top of the left cricle to pick his spot glove side on netminder David Rittich and bury Edmonton's first shot of the game 41 seconds into the opening frame.
The 6-foot-6 rearguard from Kuopio, Finland has yet to record an NHL goal in regular-season or playoff action, posting an assist in 20 career games, but he's got one to his name in his first-ever pre-season contest for the Oilers. In 15:25 of ice time on Sunday, Niemelainen also added six hits and three blocks to go along with his opening tally.
"He's a great skater," defenceman and professiona tryout Jason Demers said. "It kind of surprised me with how well Niemo gets around the ice, so I think it's great to see guys like that make it into the league -- a little bit of variety and not just all little waterbugs."

HAMBLIN' ON

How it must feel to be James Hamblin these days. The 23-year-old has been a major standout through Oilers Rookie & Main Camp so far, and now, he's off to a flying start in the pre-season.
After the Blue & Orange came up with another strong penalty kill, the Edmonton, AB product collected the rebound in the slot off a shot from Demers and ripped a wrist shot top shelf in front of his hometown crowd to give the Oilers insurance with 9:38 remaining in regulation.
Hamblin's first pre-season goal broke up a 48:57 stretch of regulation without a goal after Niemelainen opened the scoring in the first minute of action.

SAVE OF THE GAME

Big Stu was given the crease to start the pre-season for the Oilers and he made it into a fortress. The 23-year-old netminder made 19-out-of-19 stops in over a period-and-a-half of action on Sunday night, with his biggest save putting an end to a dangerous 2-on-1 near the end of the first frame.
Saku Maenalanen elected to slide a back-door pass to Jansen Harkins, but a well-placed Dmitri Samorukov on the back end for Edmonton broke up the initial play and set jets forward Kevin Stenlund for an in-close rebound. Skinner searched for the puck just outside the crease and got his left pad to the quick chance, keeping it a 1-0 game in the final two minutes of the opening period.
"The first five-to-ten minutes you're just kind of getting your legs back into it," he said. "A little tiring the first little bit, but once I got my legs underneath me, I felt pretty good. The first little bit I felt like there were some nerves obviously because of the first game. You got to see the fans back, which was a lot of fun, but after a little bit I started feeling more confident with the nerves."

The Edmonton, AB product and former 78th-overall pick by the Oilers at the 2017 NHL Draft is poised for a big role between the pipes this season behind summer signing Jack Campbell after making major strides over the last four seasons at the AHL and NHL levels.
"It felt a little different just from all the things I worked on on the ice and a little bit off the ice," he added. "But all in all, I felt pretty well the same. It definitely felt like I moved a little bit better because I worked on my skating a lot this summer, so that's nice to feel."

SEALING THE DEAL

The Oilers struck twice in 27 seconds just before the five-minute mark of the final frame to seal an opening pre-season 'W' after Ryan McLeod got a fortunate goal with a reaching stick before Dylan Holloway got the deflection on Evan Bouchard's point shot to make it 4-0 late.
"The legs felt really good," he said. "I think a big part of it was getting some games in Penticton, kind of getting into game shape early, so the legs felt good tonight.
McLeod led all Oilers forwards on the night with 19:45 of ice time, including 4:13 on the power play, while Holloway had a team-high six shots to go along with his first pre-season goal in the victory.
"It was awesome. I was able to play in different kinds of situations all over the ice," Holloway added. "[Head Coach Jay Woodcroft] gave me a lot of opportunity, so I think it well and I'm just happy with the outcome of the game."

PARTING WORDS

Skinner on if the victory adds to some strong confidence shown by him coming into the season:
"Keeps it at the same level. I think after every game, you don't want to get too high on yourself or get too low -- especially the first game in preseason. I thought it went well and I still have a lot of work to do, and I felt that through the game on some plays. Just keep on working on the game."
Holloway on his strong start to the season in both Rookie Camp & Main Camp:
"I feel like it's been pretty good. I've been fortunate enough to play with some pretty good linemates, so I feel like they've helped me along the way. But I'm feeling good so far and hopefully I keep it going for the rest of Camp."

Coach Woodcroft's thoughts on the game:
"We wanted to play with a lot of energy first of all. I thought that showed up. I thought our pace was good. A lot of things that we worked on in our first three days in practices showed up and I thought that was excellent too. There was some scrambly moments, but I think you expect that in the first preseason game, but there was a lot of good. A lot of players laid down a really good preseason game and are starting to stake their claim."
Coach Woodcroft on the play of Skinner tonight:
"I see a very professional young man. He's still a young man, but he's hit all the necessary development stages along the way. He never skipped a step. He's excelled at every stage and he's put in a lot of work in the summer time to take advantage of this opportunity. What I saw tonight was a goaltender who went out and made bi saves when there were breakdowns."
"I thought he was a big factor in our penalty kill having the success it did tonight. It was a good first 34-35 minutes for him. I thought Pickard went in and acquitted himself really well too. Both guys should be feeling good."
Coach Woodcroft on Holloway's performance:
"I thought he was really good. The powerful strid and his ability to separate from his check, I thought he was physical, I thought he showed up in offensive chances for. He's a big reason our penalty kill had the success it did tonight. It was a good first game for him, I thought that line was an effective line for us tonight. I felt good when they were on the ice.

Coach Woodcroft on Demers' play on a PTO so far:
JD was very professional out there, I think he has a professional skill set. You don't play 699 NHL games without bringing something to the table. He moves pucks well, he has offensive instincts at the blueline. He made a couple good plays on breakouts for us. I thought that pair, him and Niemelainen and Demers was one of our best ones tonight and I felt good when they were both on the ice."
"To me, it made sense for our organization. It's not something that I did anything more than analyze the situation and make a recommendation. With him being available, coming to training camp on a PTO, to me it made sense for us. We had some right-handed D-men that were nicked up a bit and he's person that comes to the arena everyday with some juice to him."