Winnipeg @ Edmonton preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 20, 2019 ) Edmonton 0, Winnipeg 1

The Winnipeg Jets have endured injuries all season and may be missing a key offensive piece as they continue fighting for a Western Conference playoff spot Saturday at the Edmonton Oilers. Forward Patrik Laine - third on the Jets with 59 points - left Thursday’s 3-0 victory over Washington with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot with his foot on the first shift of the game and, while he will travel with the team, his status for Saturday is uncertain.

It’s the third lower-body injury in a week for a Jets player of significance, as defenseman Josh Morrissey has missed the past three games and skated with a non-contact jersey Friday, and defenseman Sami Niku was hurt playing soccer before pre-game warmups Tuesday. “We’ve been consistent,” Jets coach Paul Maurice told reporters before Thursday’s game, referencing Niku’s preseason car accident and forward Mason Appleton getting hurt by warming up with a football. “We’ve had some unusual things happen, for sure.” Edmonton entered Friday in sixth place in the West with 74 points (two points ahead of the Jets) but is also battling injuries, holding newly acquired forward Andreas Athanasiou out of the third period of Wednesday’s 3-0 loss at Vegas due to a lower-body injury. “It’s been a hard go here a little bit with the schedule, but we’ve had players play hard,” Edmonton coach Dave Tippett told reporters afterward. “We’re hanging around and we’re trying to find a way to get points.”

TIME: 10 p.m. ET. TV: CBC, CITY, Sportsnet, Sportsnet360, Sportsnet One

ABOUT THE JETS (33-27-6): Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck helped the Jets bounce back from a shootout loss to Washington two days earlier, making 34 saves Thursday to move into a tie for the league lead with his fifth shutout. Center Mark Scheifele extended his point streak to six games with a goal and an assist, giving him 11 points (five goals) in that span. Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov scored his second goal of the season against Washington, finishing plus-1 for the fourth time in his past five games.

ABOUT THE OILERS (33-23-8): Forward Leon Draisaitl, who entered the weekend leading the NHL in assists (62) and points (99), saw his three-game goal streak end Wednesday as he sits one shy of a second-consecutive 100-point season. Forward Connor McDavid was kept off the scoresheet Wednesday after back-to-back three-point outings (five assists) in his first two games since returning from a quadriceps injury. Goaltender Mikko Koskinen made 30 saves in Wednesday’s loss, one night after Mike Smith allowed four goals in an overtime defeat at Anaheim.

OVERTIME

1. Oilers F Zack Kassian returns Saturday after serving a seven-game suspension for kicking Tampa Bay D Erik Cernak on Feb. 13.

2. The Jets scored the first goal Thursday for the first time in 10 games.

3. Jets Fs Kyle Connor and Laine scored against Smith in a shootout as the Jets beat Edmonton 1-0 in Winnipeg on Oct. 20, in the teams’ first meeting of the season.

PREDICTION: Oilers 3, Jets 2