After a relatively quiet game on Thursday night, is there noise to be made Saturday night when the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets square off again at Rogers Place?
“I hope not,” said Oilers goalie Mike Smith with a laugh. “I hope we’re not trading chances with a team like this.”
The two high-powered offences combined for just three goals on Thursday, with the Oilers winning 2-1. It was the second of a back-to-back for both teams. Neither team practiced on Friday.
With a 20-13 record, the Oilers are competing for top spot in the North Division with the Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs.
“We have a base structure we want to be. We feel if we can hold that structure as long and as consistent as possible, it allows us to be really competitive,” Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said. “You have to compete hard like it’s a playoff game every night. You do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win.”
Kailer Yamamoto will miss his second straight game and is day-to-day with an upper body injury. Jujhar Khaira is expected to play for the first time since being punched by the Flames Brett Ritchie in a fight on Monday.
The Oilers expected lineup is:
Nugent-Hopkins – McDavid – Puljujarvi
Kahun – Draisaitl – Archibald
Shore – Khaira – Chiasson
Ennis – Haas – Kassian
Nurse – Barrie
Lagesson – Larsson
Russell – Bear
Smith
The Oilers and Jets are on 630 CHED with the Face-off Show at 6:30 p.m. The game starts at 8 p.m.