WINNIPEG — Winger Connor Brown is happy to ride the hot hands of Zach Hyman.
Hyman scored his 51st goal of the season on his own rebound 1:22 into overtime to lift the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.
Hyman has five goals in a four-game goal streak.
“He’s a big-time player for us and he shows up time in and time (out) again in big moments and we’re lucky to have him,” said Brown, who also scored.
The Oilers halted a two-game losing skid and the Jets recorded their fourth straight loss (0-3-1).
Edmonton led 3-1 six minutes into the third period, but Winnipeg goals one minute apart by Brenden Dillon and Sean Monahan tied it at 10:39.
The Oilers killed a penalty with 2:06 remaining in regulation when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was called for high-sticking Adam Lowry, but it was Winnipeg defenceman Dylan DeMelo’s stick that actually clipped the Jets captain.
“I don’t know if it’s worse that you didn’t do it or that you did do it,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “Regardless, you’re sitting in the box with two minutes left.
“Pretty stressful, but obviously a massive kill, big saves when we needed them from (goalie Stuart Skinner).”
Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and assist and Leon Draisaitl also scored for the Oilers (43-23-4). Connor McDavid contributed a pair of helpers, extending his point streak to five games with one goal and 12 assists.
Skinner stopped 22 shots for Edmonton, which ended a three-game road trip going 1-2-0.
Mason Appleton also scored for the Jets (44-22-6). Neal Pionk had a pair of assists.
Connor Hellebuyck made 38 saves for Winnipeg, which began a five-game homestand at Canada Life Centre with its sixth sellout of the season.
“The first period shows you how good we can be and then the second period just shows you how bad we are when we get away from the way we're supposed to play,” Jets head coach Rick Bowness said.
“Yeah, we got it back in the third, so it was kind of like that. That's how I assess it then. The first was great. The second was terrible. And the third was even."
There was no scoring in the first period. The Oilers led 2-1 after the second.
The Jets had a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal when they got the game’s first power play after Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse was called for tripping four minutes into the opening period.
Skinner turned aside three shots, including robbing Winnipeg leading-scorer Mark Scheifele.
Shots on goal favoured the Jets 13-10 after the first.
Appleton used a rebound to beat Skinner at 4:43 of the second for his 14th goal of the season.
Hellebuyck denied forward Evander Kane on a breakaway shot and the rebound effort midway through the period.
Edmonton suddenly made it 2-1 at 13:29 after Draisaitl and Brown scored in under two minutes.
Draisaitl has five goals in five straight games, plus a pair of assists. McDavid assisted.
Brown was then dinged for a high-sticking double minor, but Winnipeg didn’t get a shot on goal during the four-minute advantage.
Winnipeg went 0-for-5 on the power play and Edmonton was 1-for-4.
“We had a hard time getting into the zone and establish something, some good looks, some shots,” Jets forward Nino Niederreiter said. “You look at Edmonton, (with) how they move the puck around. How they attack tonight.”
The middle frame ended with Edmonton outshooting Winnipeg 19-4.
The Oilers went up 3-1 on the power play after Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers received a double minor for high-sticking.
McDavid sent a pass to Nugent-Hopkins at the side of the net at 6:10, marking his 93rd assist of the season.
Dillon’s point shot flew over Skinner’s glove at 9:39, then Monahan’s tipped marker tied it up exactly a minute later.
When Nugent-Hopkins was called for high-sticking, the Jets only managed one shot on goal.
BOSS IS BACK
Bowness was back behind the bench after missing the past four games to have a minor medical procedure in Winnipeg.
“Just the body reminding me that I’m 69 and not 39,” Bowness told reporters after the morning skate.
Bowness also missed 13 games early in the season when his wife, Judy, had a seizure. Associate coach Scott Arniel filled in both times.
UP NEXT
Jets: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.
Oilers: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2024.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
