NHL

Winnipeg Jets at Edmonton Oilers

· National Hockey League
Final
6 - 0

Connor Hellebuyck makes 30 saves, Jets rout Oilers 6-0 in opener

Mason Appleton scores goal for Jets

“The guys in front of me were just keeping everything outside, allowing me to see pucks, allowing me to feel it, clearing rebounds, clearing lanes,” Hellebuyck said. “They made my night really easy. Once in a while I made a big save, which allowed me to feel like a part of the team.”

Mason Appleton had a goal and two assists, Adam Lowry and Mark Scheifele each had a goal and an assist and Rasmus Kupari, Dylan Samberg and Kyle Connor also scored.

“It’s great, just to get the season off on a good note,” first-year Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “I did have a sleepless night just worrying about some of these guys on the other team there and how powerful they are as a group. ... It’s a road win in a tough barn. We’ll take that and move on.”

Edmonton outshot Winnipeg 30-20. The Oilers lost to Florida in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final last season.

“You had an incredible year that finished with disappointment and it’s tough to just say ‘Forget about it, let’s think about now,’” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “But there is a point where we need to do that.”

Oilers starter Stuart Skinner allowed five goals on 13 shots before being pulled midway through the second period. Calvin Pickard gave up a goal on seven shots.

“I feel terrible about what happened tonight,” Skinner said. “It is very frustrating to start like this. It is just not ideal. I don’t feel great.”

Takeaways Jets: Connor scored in an opener for an NHL-record seventh consecutive year. He walked in from the top of the circle on the power play midway through the second period and whipped a shot off the post and in. Three players scored in six straight openers: Cam Atkinson, Yvan Cournoyer and Mud Bruneteau.

Oilers: Leon Draisaitl's opening night points streak ended at eight.

Key moment Winnipeg scored twice in a 20-second span early in the second period to take a 4-0 lead. Kupari ripped a shot past Skinner and, while that was still sinking in, Nino Niederreiter passed through traffic to Samberg for a shot over Skinner’s shoulder.

Key stat The Jets scored four times on their first 10 shots.

Up next The Oilers host Chicago on Saturday night in the second of four home games to start the season. The Jets open a four-homestand Friday night against the Blackhawks.

Regular Season Series

WPG leads series 1-0

Scoring Summary

Goal 1st Period 14:56 Adam Lowry Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Nino Niederreiter (1), Mason Appleton (1)
Goal 1st Period 18:35 Mason Appleton Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Nino Niederreiter (2), Neal Pionk (1)
Goal 2nd Period 4:17 Rasmus Kupari Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Josh Morrissey (1), Morgan Barron (1)
Goal 2nd Period 4:37 Dylan Samberg Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Mason Appleton (2), Adam Lowry (1)
Goal 2nd Period 9:33 Kyle Connor Goal (1) Slap Shot, assists: Josh Morrissey (2), Mark Scheifele (1)
Goal 3rd Period 14:15 Mark Scheifele Goal (1) Tip-In, assists: Nikolaj Ehlers (1), Gabriel Vilardi (1)

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nhl/500/wpg.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originWPG https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nhl/500/edm.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originEDM
29 Blocked Shots 8
9 Hits 15
5 Takeaways 7
20 Shots 30
2 Power Play Goals 0
3 Power Play Opportunities 1
66.7 Power Play Percentage 0.0
0 Short Handed Goals 0
0 Shootout Goals 0
20 Faceoffs Won 29
40.8 Faceoff Win Percent 59.2
16 Giveaways 8
1 Total Penalties 3
2 Penalty Minutes 6

Game Information

Rogers Place

Location: Edmonton, AB
Attendance: 18,347 | Capacity:

2024-25 Central Division Standings

TEAM W L PTS OTL
Winnipeg 15 1 30 0
Minnesota 10 2 23 3
Dallas 9 5 18 0
Colorado 9 8 18 0
Utah 7 6 17 3
St. Louis 7 9 14 0
Chicago 6 9 13 1
Nashville 5 9 12 2

2024-25 Pacific Division Standings

TEAM W L PTS OTL
Vegas 10 4 22 2
Los Angeles 9 6 21 3
Vancouver 8 3 19 3
Calgary 8 6 19 3
Edmonton 8 7 17 1
Seattle 7 8 15 1
San Jose 5 9 13 3
Anaheim 5 8 12 2
Full Standings