The Winnipeg Jets play the first of two road games this week tonight against the Edmonton Oilers…The Jets have lost two games at home since the Christmas break – Dec. 27 vs. CGY 4-1 L and Dec. 29 vs. MIN 3-1 L…After tonight’s game, the Jets return home for three days before playing in Pittsburgh against the Penguins on Friday.
Best Year So Far
The Jets have compiled 112 points so far in the 2018 calendar year by going 53-21-6
in 80 games…Winnipeg is one of three teams in the NHL to reach 112 points or
more in the calendar year…It establishes a new benchmark for wins and points in
a calendar year since the franchise relocated to Winnipeg in 2011…Winnipeg’s 21
losses in regulation this year are the fewest in the NHL.
| Year | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS |
| 2011 | 38 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 43 |
| 2012 | 44 | 18 | 21 | 5 | 41 |
| 2013 | 89 | 42 | 39 | 8 | 92 |
| 2014 | 77 | 37 | 28 | 12 | 86 |
| 2015 | 80 | 41 | 31 | 8 | 90 |
| 2016 | 82 | 35 | 39 | 9 | 79 |
| 2017 | 83 | 46 | 27 | 10 | 102 |
| 2018 | 80 | 53 | 21 | 6 | 112 |
Lighter Load
After playing 12 games (10-2-0) in 22 days to begin December, the Jets are
scheduled to play four games in a span of 13 days between Dec. 23-Jan.
4…Winnipeg’s three-day break between games in Edmonton on Dec. 31 and
Pittsburgh on Jan. 4 is one of two three-day breaks between games in its
schedule that isn’t attached to the Global Series, Christmas break, or player
break/all-star break…The Jets trip to Pittsburgh on Jan. 4 begins a run of nine
games in 16 days before the player break.
Two in Row
The Jets have lost two games in a row for the second time this season…The last
time the Jets lost three games in a row in regulation was Mar. 6-11/17…Since
then, the Jets have lost back-to-back games seven times.
Party in the Pacific
The Jets are 7-3-1 against Pacific Division opponents this season and are
playing a Pacific Division team for the fourth time in their last five games…Winnipeg
was a dominant 17-4-2 against Pacific Division foes last season and are on an 18-4-3
run in their last 25 games versus the Pacific…Mark Scheifele (5G, 7A) leads the
Jets in scoring against the Pacific Division this season with 12 points in 11
games, while Dustin Byfuglien has 10 points (2G, 8A) in 10 games.
On the Road Again
The Jets are 11-6-0 on the road this season and have won seven of their last
eight games away from Bell MTS Place…Winnipeg matched a franchise record with a
five-game road winning streak from Nov. 24-Dec. 14…Blake Wheeler (2G, 19A) leads
the Jets in scoring on the road with 21 points in 17 games.
Power Patty
Patrik Laine scored Winnipeg’s lone goal on Saturday for his NHL-leading 11th
power play goal this season…Laine leads the Jets with 24 goals this season,
which is tied for fourth in the NHL…Since entering the NHL for the 2016-17
season, Laine’s 104 goals rank second in the NHL.
Wingman
Blake Wheeler is tied for second in the NHL with 44 assists in 38 games this
season…Wheeler has five three-assist games this season, which is tied for first
in the NHL…Wheeler has 112 assists during the past two seasons, which is the
most in the NHL…Wheeler has 30 primary assists, which is second in the NHL…Wheeler’s
427 career assists is second among right wingers since his rookie season of
2008-09…He has reached 40 assists for the fourth consecutive season and sixth
time in his career.
Power Play Helpers
Blake Wheeler (19) and Dustin Byfuglien (15) lead the Jets in power play
assists this season and are closing in on the franchise record, which is held
by Slava Kozlov (130)…Byfuglien (127) is three power play assists behind
Kozlov, while Wheeler (121) is nine behind.
Jets vs. Oilers All-Time Records
Overall: 14-14-2
At Bell MTS Place: 5-3-1
At Rogers Place: 2-1-0
2018-19 Game Log vs. Oilers
| Date | Location | Score | Rec | Scorers | Goaltender |
| Oct. 16 | Winnipeg | 5-4 OTL | 0-0-1 | Lowry (2, 3), Chiarot (1), Scheifele (2) | Hellebuyck (30 sv, 5 ga) |
| Dec. 13 | Winnipeg | 5-4 OTW | 1-0-1 | Perreault (5), Ehlers (10), Laine (22), Scheifele (18), Morrissey (4) | Hellebuyck (22 sv, 4 ga) |
| Dec. 31 | Edmonton |
Jets vs. Oilers Notes
- The Jets have a point in five consecutive games against the Oilers (4-0-1).
- The Jets are 10-7-1 against the Oilers since the franchise moved to Winnipeg in 2011…Seven of the Jets 10 wins have been by one goal.
- The Jets are 7-for-23 (30.4%) on the power play in their last seven games against the Oilers.
- Winnipeg went a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill against Edmonton last season, but are 1-for-4 in the first two meetings of the season.
- Blake Wheeler leads the Jets in scoring against the Oilers with 17 points (3G, 14A) in 19 career games, while Bryan Little has 16 points (8G, 8A) in 17 career games.
- Nikolaj Ehlers has also enjoyed playing the Oilers during the past three-plus seasons with nine points (4G, 5A) in 10 games.
Connections
- Edmonton’s Milan Lucic and the Jets’ Blake Wheeler played together for the Boston Bruins…Lucic was in Boston from 2007-2015 and Wheeler played for the Bruins from 2008-2011.
- Jets’ assistant coach Charlie Huddy, then as a defenceman, played 694 games with the Oilers and was a part of all five Stanley Cup winning teams in the ‘80s and 1990.
- Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele, who were drafted first and seventh overall respectively in 2011, were teammates representing Canada at the 2012 World Junior Championships
- The Oilers’ Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse played alongside the Jets’ Josh Morrissey at the 2015 World Junior Championships for Canada.
- The Jets’ Mark Scheifele, Jacob Trouba and Connor Hellebuyck played with McDavid for North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
- Jets head coach Paul Maurice served as an assistant coach with Europe at the 2016 World Cup where he coached Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl.
- Jets defenceman Joe Morrow and Edmonton forward Ty Rattie were teammates in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks from 2008-2012.
Upcoming Milestones
Dustin Byfuglien
- Needs one more game played to reach 600 as a member of the Jets franchise.
- Needs one shorthanded assist to tie Marty Reasoner and Patrik Stefan (7) for the second-most shorthanded assists in franchise history.
Kyle Connor
- Needs 10 points to reach 100 for his NHL career.
Nikolaj Ehlers
- Needs two penalty minutes to reach 100 for his career.
Connor Hellebuyck
- Needs one win to reach 100 for his NHL career.
Bryan Little
- Needs four points to reach 500 for his NHL career.
Paul Maurice
- Needs one win to pass Mike Keenan (672) for the 9th-most wins in NHL history.
Tyler Myers
- Needs eight points to reach 100 as a member of the Jets.
Blake Wheeler
- Needs five games played to reach 600 as a member of the Jets franchise.
- Needs one multi-goal game to pass Marian Hossa and take sole possession of third in multi-goal games in franchise history. They are both currently at 21.
- Needs one shorthanded assist to tie Marty Reasoner and Patrik Stefan (7) for the second-most shorthanded assists in franchise history.