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The Winnipeg Jets closed out their preseason schedule with a 2-1 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Viljami Marjala scored the winner just 1:26 into the extra period, ending a game that featured a mix of young hopefuls and veterans finding their footing ahead of the regular season.
Iafallo Opens the Scoring in a Quiet First Period
The first 13 minutes passed without much action. Both teams failed to convert on early power play opportunities. Then, a fortunate bounce gave Winnipeg the lead at the 13:04 mark.
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Edmonton’s Josh Brown threw a poor pass up the middle of his own zone. The puck landed on the stick of Nino Niederreiter, who skated to the point and fired a wrist shot wide. The puck bounced off the end boards and found Alex Iafallo for an easy tap-in.
Edmonton responded at the 15:50 mark. A point shot from Atro Leppanen squeezed through the legs of Jets goalie Domenic DiVincentiis and trickled over the goal line. However, the goal came with some controversy. Jets head coach Scott Arniel noted that DiVincentiis was clearly bumped as the puck crossed the line.
Arniel could not challenge the call because no video replay was available. He later said the contact likely would not have overturned the goal anyway. “The puck was on its way towards the goal, and it was only maybe that far behind Dom,” Arniel said. “It looked like he hit him first, but the puck was already in motion going towards the net. Yeah, there was no video replay anyway.”
DiVincentiis Stands Tall in His Preseason Debut
Despite the controversial goal, DiVincentiis impressed in his first preseason appearance. He finished the game with 21 saves. Edmonton outshot Winnipeg 23-18 overall.
The second period was the busiest stretch for the Jets goalie. Edmonton outshot Winnipeg 11-7 in that frame. DiVincentiis made several quality stops to keep the game level heading into the third.
Arniel praised his goaltender after the game. “I thought he did a fantastic job,” the coach said. “He continued to stay big, didn’t drop down maybe like some of the times last year. He’d drop right to the ice and become small. So, that was really good to see.”
Marjala Wins It in Overtime for Edmonton
The third period came and went without a goal. Winnipeg generated a few decent chances late, but neither team could break the deadlock through 60 minutes.
Overtime lasted just over a minute. Dylan Samberg fired a slapshot that missed the net and rimmed around the boards. Zach Hyman collected the puck in the Winnipeg zone and waited briefly as Marjala came off the bench early.
Hyman slid the puck across to Marjala, and the Finnish prospect fired a shot high over DiVincentiis’s shoulder to seal the win for Edmonton. Both teams finished 0-for-3 on the power play.
Jets Prepare for Roster Cuts Ahead of Season Opener
With the preseason now over for Winnipeg, the team expects to announce a round of roster cuts on Wednesday. The Jets will next take the ice Friday when they travel to Colorado to wrap up their exhibition schedule.
Tuesday’s game served its purpose as a final audition for players on the roster bubble. Meanwhile, veterans on both sides used the contest to shake off the rust before the regular season begins.
