The Winnipeg Jets are playing their first home game of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs as they host the Edmonton Oilers in game three of the first round.
Winnipeg comes to Bell MTS Place after taking the first two games of this best-of-seven series at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
On Friday night, the Jets and Oilers needed overtime to decide game two. In thrilling fashion Paul Stastny scored the overtime winner to give the Jets a 1-0 victory. You can read our recap of the game by clicking the link here or the “Trending” link at the bottom of this article.
The Winnipeg Jets will look to take a 3-0 series lead with a win tonight against the Edmonton Oilers
Tonight is also the first game of two on back-to-back nights for Winnipeg and Edmonton. The opening puck drop for tonight’s game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. central time.
Odds
Although the Jets won the first two games of this series, they are still listed as the underdogs for the third straight game.
Winnipeg has done an outstanding of job of keeping the Oilers’ top forwards of Connor McDavid and Leon Drisital in check and off the scoreboard. It will be interesting to see if the Jets can keep the top two point scorers during the regular season quiet for the third game in a row.
Where you can Find the Game
TV: CBC, SN, TVAS, NBCSN
Radio: 680 CJOB
Projected Lineups
There is only one change that the Winnipeg Jets may make for tonight’s game. Nikolaj Ehlers missed game two, but Paul Maurice said two days ago that Ehlers is a “possibility” to play tonight’s game three.
Ehlers will be listed as a game time decision for tonight and if he is available expect Ehlers to play alongside Dubois and Stastny. In turn, Copp will move to the third line, Perreault will move to the fourth line and Dominic Tonianto is projected to get scratched if Ehlers returns.
If Ehlers is not available tonight, the Jets lineup is projected to remain the same for the second straight game. Connor Hellebuyck will get the start in goal for Winnipeg.
The Jets are projected to lineup like this:
Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler
Copp-Dubois-Stastny
Perreault-Lowry-Appleton
Toninato-Thompson-Lewis
Morrissey-DeMelo
Forbort-Pionk
Stanley-Poolman
Hellebuyck (Brossoit)
Edmonton has dressed the same lineup for the first two games of this series and it is projected that they may make a change or two for tonight’s clash as they look to dig themselves out of a 0-2 hole.
One change that the Oilers may make is on defense. Caleb Jones may come into the lineup for Slater Koekkoek.
Edmonton also has been struggling on offense so far during this series and we could see either Devin Shore, Kyle Turris, or Tyler Ennis replace one of the Oilers’ bottom-six forwards in an effort to give the Oilers a different look on offense.
Mike Smith is projected to be named the starter for Edmonton tonight.
The Oilers are expected to lineup like this:
Kahun-McDavid-Puljujarvi
Nugent Hopkins-Draisaitl-Yamamoto
Shore-McLeod-Kassian
Archibald-Khaira-Chiasson
Nurse-Barrie
Kulikov-Larsson
Jones-Bear
Smith (Koskinen)
Winnipeg Jets Fans: Will the Winnipeg Jets win game three? Leave your comments below!
*All Stats Provided by the NHL*