By Canadian Press

Leon Draisaitl scores twice as Edmonton Oilers edge Winnipeg Jets 3-2

Feb 17, 2021 | 9:55 PM

EDMONTON — A pair of goals from Leon Draisaitl powered the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday. 

Jesse Puljujarvi also scored for the Oilers (10-8-0) and captain Connor McDavid notched a pair of assists, including his 500th NHL point. 

Mark Scheifele and Neal Pionk responded for the Jets (9-6-1). 

Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27-of-30 shots and Mike Smith had 33 saves for Edmonton. 

It was the second tight game between the two sides this week after the Jets took a 6-5 victory on Monday. 

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Winnipeg pulled Hellebuyck with 51 seconds to go in a late bid to get the equalizer but the Jets couldn’t beat Smith to force overtime. 

The Oilers were up 3-1 heading into the third but the two-goal lead didn’t hold long. 

Winnipeg’s Paul Stastny was already in the box when Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was called for slashing, creating 39 seconds of 4-on-4 hockey.

The Jets took advantage of the space, with Pionk sending a long slapshot into the top left corner of the Oilers net 1:28 into the final frame.

Winnipeg was 1-for-5 on the power play. 

The Oilers were 1-for-6, capitalizing on the man advantage midway through the second after Nathan Beaulieu was called for tripping. 

Hellebuyck dived to stop a shot by Nugent-Hopkins, but couldn’t control the rebound. The puck popped out to Draisaitl, who riffled it in under the crossbar for his second goal of the game.

Edmonton started off the night with a milestone goal as McDavid collected his 500th NHL point. 

The Oilers captain sliced a pass to Puljujarvi at the top of the slot and winger took a couple of strides before ripping a wrist shot past Hellebuyck to open the scoring 3:45 into the game. 

Twenty-one seconds later, Draisaitl doubled the lead. 

Tyler Ennis fed the German forward a pass across the neutral zone and Draisaitl got a quick shot off, sailing the pub over Hellebuyck’s right pad. 

The Jets clawed a goal back before the end of the period after Edmonton defenceman Darnell Nurse was called for high sticking. 

Scheifele patiently waited in the right face-off circle for his moment before putting a shot through the legs of Edmonton’s Adam Larsson and over Smith’s glove, cutting the Oilers’ lead to 2-1 heading into the first intermission. 

The goal extended Scheifele’s point streak to eight games. He has five goals and seven assists across the stretch. 

Both teams will be back in action on Friday. The Oilers will be in Calgary to battle the Flames while the Jets head to Vancouver for a tilt with the Canucks. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2021.

The Canadian Press