On Saturday, the Winnipeg Jets take the ice for the second half of a back-to-back, coming off a strong 4–1 home win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. They’ll pack their bags once again for a quick trip west to Edmonton, where Connor McDavid and the two-time defending Western Conference champion Oilers await. 

Friday’s victory was an important one for Winnipeg, which has managed just five wins in its last 15 games. Depth scoring has been a persistent issue, with the Jets owning the league’s sixth-worst offense over that stretch at just 2.47 goals per game.

Edmonton has battled its own inconsistency, winning only four of its last ten matchups. Defensive lapses continue to be a problem, as the Oilers have allowed the fourth-most goals per game during that span at 3.80. Both clubs are eager to secure a primetime Saturday win to build momentum heading into next week.

Lineup Storylines

Winnipeg finally got a spark from the bottom of its lineup on Friday, as bottom-six forwards Cole Koepke and Tanner Pearson both scored, with Koepke adding an assist for a two-point performance. The Jets’ top line stayed red hot as well, contributing two more goals and extending a stretch in which they’ve accounted for 13 of Winnipeg’s last 19 tallies across eight games. Another dose of secondary scoring will be crucial against a high-powered Oilers squad, placing added focus on the middle six after the fourth line stole the spotlight on Friday.

The trio of Jonathan Toews, Cole Perfetti, and Vladislav Namestnikov enters Saturday with something to prove, having combined for just one goal in their last nine games. Toews and Namestnikov, in particular, need to break out of extended slumps, carrying 11- and 15-game goal droughts respectively.

On the Edmonton side, the Oilers have won three of their last five thanks to standout performances from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have each recorded eight points over that stretch to help propel the team back into the playoff picture. Depth scoring has also played a role recently, with Matt Savoie, Jack Roslovic, and Vasily Podkolzin combining for eight goals during the Oilers’ mini surge. Still, Edmonton is looking for more from its third line, where Adam Henrique and Andrew Mangiapane have both gone 14 games without finding the back of the net.

Goalie Matchup

Winnipeg: Thomas Milic Expected (Season: 0-1-0 record, 3.64 GAA, .882 SV% | First Game VS EDM)

Edmonton: Stuart Skinner Expected (Season: 9-8-3 record, 2.90 GAA, .887 SV% | VS WPG: 5-1-1 record, 2.53 GAA, .904 SV% in nine games)

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.