Winnipeg Jets at Edmonton Oilers

McDavid scores in regulation and shootout, Oilers beat Jets

Rookie goaltender Stuart Skinner made 45 saves and was perfect on two shootout attempts for the Oilers, who improved to 7-1-1 at home.

“I have been preparing for this for a long time and I thought the whole team played a fantastic game,” said Skinner, a 23-year-old Edmonton native selected in the third round of the 2017 draft. “It ranks pretty high. I am super-grateful for this moment.

“It was an exciting game. It was a hard-fought battle all night between both teams.”

Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the Jets, whose three-game winning streak ended. His goal broke a scoreless tie with 6:03 left in the game on Winnipeg's 33rd shot. Ehlers beat Skinner high to the glove side from the top of the circle.

Just 28 seconds later, McDavid danced through three Winnipeg defenders before beating Connor Hellebuyck for his 11th of the year, extending his points streak to 16 games.

“It is great to score crazy goals like that, but even more impressive to score them in the timely manner he has been doing it to give our team the chance to win,” the Oilers' Zach Hyman said. “He is a special player, obviously.”

McDavid then took a double-minor for high-sticking Mark Scheifele with 43.6 seconds left, but Edmonton was able to hang on and force overtime. The Oilers killed the penalty to send the game to a shootout.

Hellebuyck stopped 31 shots.

“I thought both teams were really good, I don’t think it was just a goaltender battle,” Hellebuyck said. “I think every person on both teams was playing well. It almost had that playoff vibe to it and it was a grinder, two good teams going at it.”

The Jets put 17 shots on Skinner in the first period, while Hellebuyck made 10 saves. Skinner made the best save of the opening period with 10 seconds remaining, stopping a point-blank short-handed rebound by Andrew Copp.

Shots favored the Jets 27-20 through two periods.

Oilers coach Dave Tippett was impressed with Skinner’s poise.

“He just looks like an NHL goaltender and plays like an NHL goaltender and tonight was a really good challenge for him coming off a tough game for the team in Winnipeg,” he said. “We needed a performance like that from our goaltender and he stepped up, right through the shootout. He did a heck of a job for us.”

Game notes
It was the second of a home-and-home between the two teams. The Jets won 5-2 on Tuesday. ... Out with injuries for the Oilers were forwards Derek Ryan (possible concussion) and Devin Shore (undisclosed) and goalie Mike Smith (lower body). Missing from the Jets lineup were forwards Paul Stastny (lower body) and Bryan Little (ear). ... The Oilers came into the game with the league’s top power play unit (42.6%) while Winnipeg had the second-worst penalty kill at 64.3%.

UP NEXT

Jets: At Vancouver on Friday.

Oilers: Host Chicago on Saturday.

Series tied 1-1