GAME RECAP: Oilers 3, Jets 2 (Preseason)

WINNIPEG, MB – Another pre-season victory in the 'Peg.

Defenceman Ty Emberson and forwards Quinn Hutson and Isaac Howard each recorded goals, while centre Noah Philp had two assists for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night in a 3-2 pre-season victory over the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre.

After a scoreless first period, NCAA standouts Hutson and Howard both tallied their first goals of the preseason during the middle stanza, with Hutson putting a deflection set up by Philp at 7:39 of the frame past netminder Eric Comrie.

Howard notched the go-ahead goal from the right circle off Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' terrific cross-seam pass on the power play just over two minutes after Jets defenceman Colin Miller equalized to make it 1-1.

Howard now has points in back-to-back games after assisting on Kasperi Kapanen's goal on Sunday in a 3-0 split-squad exhibition win over Calgary, and the 21-year-old prospect had another strong showing on a line with Nugent-Hopkins and Kapanen in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

"I think I'm just getting comfortable with the systems, new things like that, and obviously a new environment," Howard said. "I think each day, I just feel better, and it's been a great experience."

Emberson recorded the eventual game-winner 11:57 into the third period with a wicked shot off the post after Philp's saucer pass found him wide open, ultimately giving the Oilers the 3-2 victory after forward Colby Barlow cut into the lead late for the Jets when they pulled their goalie for the extra attacker.

Goaltender Calvin Pickard stopped all eight shots he faced in his pre-season debut over 33:10 of action before giving way to Matt Tomkins, who allowed two goals on 15 shots in his second pre-season appearance – both goals coming off deflections through traffic.

Edmonton improved to 2-0-1 this preseason and will return home to host the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night at Rogers Place in the second of back-to-back games, with the game being streamed live on Oilers+ beginning 7:00 PM MT.

FIRST PERIOD

It's a good thing Picks came ready to play early in his hometown.

There was no scoring in the first period of a low-event opening frame in Winnipeg that saw the Jets outshoot the Oilers by a 6-3 margin, but goaltender Calvin Pickard needed to make a pair of high-danger saves to keep things level at Canada Life Centre through 20 minutes.

Both dangerous chances for the Jets came in quick succession almost five minutes in, when Pickard made a nice kick save on Colby Barlow and again seconds later with a wide-open glove stop from the slot after Ty Emberson's reverse pass meant for Atro Leppanen fell right to the Winnipeg winger's stick.

Adam Henrique took the game's first penalty with a hooking call on Edmonton's next rush up ice, and forward Max Jones had a half-chance at breaking the deadlock on a partial breakaway that came at the end of a lengthy shift on the penalty kill. With a Winnipeg defender coming across to catch Jones with minimal legs left from chasing the loose puck into the neutral zone, the 27-year-old tried to run it through netminder Eric Comrie but couldn't convert.

Jones didn't take another shift for the Oilers in the first period and wouldn't return, leaving Edmonton to navigate the final two periods with 11 forwards.

Pickard comfortably fought off another open look for the Jets from Gustav Nyquist and turned aside a tight-angle attempt from Jonathan Toews before the end of the frame, with the veteran 37-year-old and three-time Stanley Cup champion making his pre-season debut with the Jets after a two-year hiatus.

SECOND PERIOD

Cue the arrival of a pair of college hockey studs in their first-ever NHL preseason to get things going offensively for the Oilers during the second frame, where Quinn Hutson and Isaac Howard each potted goals to put the Oilers ahead 2-1 on the Jets after 40 minutes.

The 21-year-old Howard, who won the Hobey Baker Award last season with Michigan State as the NCAA's top player, nearly set up Kasperi Kapanen for the second straight game in the first half of the middle frame when he had the puck on his stick in Winnipeg's zone and backhanded a pass into the danger area for the Finnish forward that he couldn't handle to convert the good scoring chance.

The Oilers continued to pour on pressure, earning a few long shifts in the offensive zone where they dominated the Jets and were eventually rewarded for their efforts at 12:21 of the second period after defenceman Cam Dineen kept the puck in at the blueline to extend possession.

Dineen got it to centre Noah Philp, who sifted the puck towards goal from the left on Winnipeg's net to find the stick of Hutson for a sneaky deflection despite being wrapped up by Jets defenceman Kale Clague to lift it over the left shoulder of Comrie to open the scoring.

Hutson recorded a terrific 23 goals and 27 assists for 50 points in 38 games for Boston University last season and signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Oilers in April before making his NHL debut against the Los Angeles Kings late in the 2024-25 campaign, making two appearances for the Blue & Orange.

Goaltender Matt Tomkins took over for Pickard between the pipes for the Oilers past the second period's midway mark, and the netminder was beaten when defenceman Colin Miller's shot from distance hit a body on the way through to make it 1-1 with under five minutes left in the frame.

Edmonton didn't earn a shot on their opening power-play opportunity early on in the period – starting with the fivesome of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Henrique, Isaac Howard, Matt Savoie and Atro Leppanen – but they'd make no mistake on their second chance after Howard showed his wicked release to return the Oilers into the lead on his second attempt at a one-timer.

Nugent-Hopkins found a seam through the middle to pick out Howard, who unleashed a wicked one-timer from the top of the right circle that beat Comrie inside the near post to make it 2-1 with his first goal of the preseason just over two minutes after the Jets equalized.

"It felt good," Howard said. "Nice play by Nuggie there to find the seam, and I just poured it into the net."

"I had a first good look at it and tried to let one go, and then my stick snapped in half, and I sat by the bench for a little bit while [Head Equipment Manager Jeff Lang] got my stick. I came back out and like I said, Nuggie had a nice seam and I tried to get one on net."

Howard has been noticeable over two pre-season appearances and two games during Rookie Camp as he looks to earn an opening night roster spot with the Oilers, coming off his off-season trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Hobey Baker-winning season of 52 points (26 goals) in 37 games with Michigan State in 2024-25.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said that he's seeing Howard play a lot more direct as preseason has progressed, getting involved in more plays and showcasing his potential as one of the top options to win one of Edmonton's available roster spots up front for opening night.

"I think he's getting adjusted fairly well and moving his feet, getting involved in the play a lot more rather than just sitting back and analyzing plays just because it happens so fast," he said. "If you're always analyzing, you never get involved. Watching the game on video in Calgary, I wasn't there, but tonight he was getting a little greasy, moving his feet, making some plays, and obviously, with the goal and the power play, he sees a threat to score in situations like that. I like that he's just pursuing the puck and looking hungry for it."

THIRD PERIOD

After Matt Tomkins held off the Jets with a few fantastic saves, the Oilers doubled their lead through defenceman Ty Emberson after Noah Philp found him wide open with a terrific saucer pass to pick up his second assist of the night.

Philp found Emberson wide open dropping down from the blueline with a delicious dish over a few sticks, leading to the defenceman having all the time and space he needed to look up and rip a shot off the right post that bounced off the back meshing and out behind Comrie to make it 3-1 with 8:03 remaining.

Emberson signed a two-year extension with the club back in April and is aiming to lock himself back in as one of Edmonton's top-six defencemen this coming season after posting two goals and 11 assists in 76 games for the Oilers.

Philp, meanwhile, is competing to be one of the team's bottom-six centres this coming season and is making a strong case with Tuesday's performance in Winnipeg with two assists.

"Noah's a big guy who skates fairly well, and tonight we saw his vision on the two goals he set up," Knoblauch said. "Both I believe were backhand passes, but he made some other plays breaking out, just finding open ice and making the next play to transport it out. So, there are a lot of good things I like about Noah, and hopefully he can keep that up."

The Jets pulled their goalie for the extra attacker while trailing by a pair with over two minutes left in the third period, eventually cutting the Oilers' lead to one with another deflection that was put past Tomkins by Barlow with 1:01 remaining in regulation.

After an Emberson block on Winnipeg's ensuing possession at six-on-five helped Edmonton escape their zone in the last dozen seconds, the Oilers saw out the remaining time to take the 3-2 victory and improve to 2-1-0 this preseason.

The Oilers will host the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday at Rogers Place in the second of back-to-back exhibitions.