The Edmonton Oilers opened the preseason with a 2-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets Monday night at Rogers Place.
Stuart Skinner (18 saves) and Dylan Wells (seven saves) combined for the shutout. Edmonton native Eric Comrie made 30 stops for the Jets.
James Neal scored the only goal of the first period. His shot from in tight caromed in off a Jets defenceman.
“We’ve got a bit of a different feel here,” Neal said. “With all the changes we’ve got to get used to coach, our systems, all the new guys and the way we’re going to play, so this is a big preseason for us.”
“Neal’s an opportunistic guy,” Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said. “Hopefully he gets a lot more like that one where they just bounce off people and go in. That’s what scorers do.”
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins extended the lead with 15.4 seconds left in the second period. He grabbed a rebound and maneuvered in front to flip a backhand behind Eric Comrie.
Defencemen Oscar Klefbom and Joel Persson assisted on both goals.
“I didn’t have that much poise,” Klefbom said of his defence partner Persson, who was playing in his first game on North American Ice.
“You can tell he’s got a lot of potential. Obviously it’s the first game, but it’s nice to start off with a win here and get some confidence.”
The Oilers will visit Vancouver on Tuesday.
–with files from 630 CHED’s Brenden Escott and Scott Johnston
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