Morrissey helps Jets soar past Oilers 7-5

By Jim Bender, The Canadian Press on March 4, 2023.

WINNIPEG – Defenceman Josh Morrissey scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 7-5 victory over the Edmonton Oilers before a sold-out crowd of 15,324 at Canada Life Centre on Saturday.

Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Kyle Copabianco, Morgan Barron and Dylan DeMelon, into an empty net, also scored for the Jets, who snapped a five-game winless streak and a three-game losing streak at home.

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored three goals, while Mattias Janmark and Nick Bjugstad added singles.

Connor Hellebuyck stopped 30 of 35 shots for Winnipeg (36-25-2), which improved its home record to 21-10-1.

Netminder Jack Campbell made 31 saves on 37 shots for Edmonton (34-22-8).

Edmonton pulled to within 6-5 early in the third period. The recently acquired Bjugstad swept a loose puck in the crease into the net at 2:55.

There were fireworks near the end of the second period. Winnipeg forward Saku Maenalanen crushed Edmonton centre Connor McDavid into the boards with a clean hit. Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse then went after Maenalanen, but Lowry interceded. Both were handed five-minute fighting majors but Nurse got the extra two minutes.

Morrissey scored on the ensuing power play with 1.2 seconds left in the period to give Winnipeg a 6-4 lead. Scheifele had an assist.

Barron gave Winnipeg a 5-4 lead midway through the middle period when he was sent in alone on Campbell and beat him with a backhand shot. Morrissey drew an assist.

The Oilers knotted the score 4-4 on the power play. Just seven seconds after the Jets were called for too many men, Draisaitl scored his third goal of the game, converting a pass from McDavid. It was Draisaitl’s 26th power-play goal of the season, a franchise record. It was also McDavid’s 58th power-play point, breaking the record he had shared with Wayne Gretzky.

Only 23 seconds after the Lowry marker, Capobianco gave Winnipeg a 4-3 lead when he beat Campbell by snapping a wrist shot over his shoulder. Blake Wheeler assisted.

Just 42 seconds after the Oilers took the lead, Lowry tipped a Barron pass past Campbell. The goal snapped a 35-game drought for the Jets centre.

Draisaitl gave Edmonton a 3-2 lead with his second goal of the game. Scheifele handed him the puck deep in his own zone and Draisaitl beat Hellebuyck over the shoulder from his doorstep.

The Oilers tied the game 2-2 on a short-handed goal early in the second period. Just 12 seconds after forward Zach Hyman went off for tripping at 2:45, Janmark converted a pass from centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on a 2-on-1 rush.

Morrissey gave Winnipeg a 2-1 lead toward the end of the first period when his screened shot from the point got past Campbell.

Scheifele knotted the score at 1-1 about midway through the opening frame. Scheifele tipped a point shot from defenceman Dylan DeMelo past Campbell.

The Oilers drew first blood on the power play early in the first. With Wheeler off for hooking, Draisaitl pounced on the rebound of a Hyman shot and fired it into the empty side of the net. It extended Draisaitl’s point-scoring streak to 12 games.

NOTES

Newly-acquired Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov suited up for the first time since being obtained from the San Jose Sharks at Friday’s trade deadline. “¦ Winnipeg C Pierre-Luc Dubois missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. F Mason Appleton was placed on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury. “¦ Jets defenceman Nate Schmidt and Logan Stanley, and F Karson Kuhlman were healthy scratches. “¦ Jets blueliner Josh Morrissey was second in scoring among NHL defencemen before the game. “¦ Winnipeg F Blake Wheeler played in his 1,100th NHL career game. “¦ The Jets headed into Saturday’s game with the second-best penalty-kill record in the NHL at 84.2 per cent. The franchise record is 85.2 per cent.

UP NEXT

Jets: Host the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

Oilers: Play in Buffalo against the Sabres on Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2023.

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