The Jonathan Toews era in Winnipeg has officially begun. On Tuesday evening, the Winnipeg Jets hosted the Edmonton Oilers in the Jets' second of three home preseason tilts of the exhibition season. Photo by Terry Lee/USA Today [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/37cfe029-837c-4212-b393-7adc1684bf74.jpeg] Photo by Terry Lee/USA Today The game also marked the long-awaited debut of the 37-year-old Toews, who has previously captained the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups in six seasons and earned gold medals at the World Juniors, World Championship and Winter Olympic Games. On Tuesday he made his return to the city that raised him as he stepped out onto the ice in the polar night blue of the Winnipeg Jets. The night was a special one for the born and raised Manitoban, who started (and finished) the game as the team's No. 1 centreman. "It’s been a while," Toews said post-game. "Just being here in Winnipeg, being in a new locker room, there’s a lot of things to get used to. But at the same time, those nerves feel good and I’m just excited to play hockey again.” Toews skated with Cole Perfetti and fellow newcomer Gustav Nyquist on the top line, where he took his fair share of face-offs and had opportunities while working on the team's first power play unit. “Some good, some not so good, it is what it is," he said when asked to analyze his game. " I felt like I made some plays, but as the game went on I just relaxed a little bit. I think the conditioning is going to come and the jump is going to come." Winnipeg ended up losing the game by a score of 3-2, which dropped its record to 0-1-1 through two preseason games. Toews did not look out of place in his opening few shifts. From winning face-offs, to chasing down plays up-ice, to working pucks towards the Edmonton net, the veteran forward delivered enough to silence the critics - at least for the time being. The first period was a bit of a snoozer for both teams, with neither club coming close to a goal. The middle stanza provided three tallies, with Edmonton scoring twice and the hosts answering back with a goal of their own. First, it was Quinn Hutson who redirected a Nathan Philp offering past Eric Comrie to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. But the Jets managed a response by way of a point shot from Colin Miller. Colby Barlow managed a screen in front of Calvin Pickard, allowing the big defenceman to get the puck through. Kale Clague and Brad Lambert picked up the assists on Miller's first. With Walker Duehr in the box for high sticking, Edmonton capitalized on the power play. After snapping his stick on his first one-time attempt, offseason trade acquisition Isaac Howard hammered home a slap shot off a cross-ice pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, restoring Edmonton's one-goal lead. Winnipeg maintained a 12-11 shot lead through 40 minutes but trailed 2-1 to start the third. Again, dressing a team without many every day regulars gave the Jets' lack of offence an explanation. Ty Emberson put it away for the visitors with 8:03 to go in the third period. Just a few minutes after a bloody fight in the stands, the Oilers scored their third of the game on a heavy wrist shot from the blue line. Barlow got one back for Winnipeg with 1:01 to play, keeping spirits alive at Canada Life Centre as Eric Comrie watched on from the Jets' bench. But there would be no equalizer as time drained off the clock. Comrie finished the game with 14 saves on 17 Edmonton shots, while the duo of Pickard and Matt Tomkins made 21 saves on the 23 shots sent their way by the Jets. Next up for Winnipeg is a road test rematch against the same Oilers on Friday night. The team returns home to Canada Life Centre the following day for a test with the Calgary Flames.
