(SportsNetwork.com) – Things can’t get much lower for the Edmonton Oilers.
At least they hope.
The Oilers look to snap a 10-game winless streak and beat a Western Conference
opponent for the first time this season on Wednesday night as they visit the
Winnipeg Jets.
Edmonton has gone 0-7-3 since winning back-to-back road games against Buffalo
and the New York Rangers on Nov. 7-9. The Oilers’ current drought is their
longest since they went 0-8-3 from March 8-31, 2011.
Even a supposed advantage worked against the Oilers on Monday, as Phoenix’s
Tobias Rider scored twice on the same Edmonton power play to key a 5-2
decision over the Oilers.
Jordan Eberle and Jeff Petry each scored for the Oilers, while Viktor Fasth
allowed all five goals on 24 shots.
“We feel pain, but there should be no feeling sorry for yourself. You should
be scraping and clawing your way out of it,” Edmonton coach Dallas Eakins
said.
The setback dropped the Oilers to 0-12-3 versus the West this season and they
have lost four times on the road during their current losing streak.
The Jets, meanwhile, return home after a 2-0-1 road trip of their own, winning
the first two games of the trek before a 2-1 overtime setback to the Boston
Bruins on Friday. Dougie Hamilton netted the winner 3:39 into OT.
Dustin Byfuglien scored for Winnipeg, which got 36 saves from Michael
Hutchinson.
“It’s one of those things where you look down the road later on this season
and it may have been a big point for us to pick up,” said Hutchinson. “We
played well and battled well tonight. To get one point is it a bit
frustrating, you always want two, but at the same time it’s better than
getting none.”
Winnipeg will play its next three at home and hopes to have forward Bryan
Little in the lineup tonight after he exited the loss to the Bruins early in
the third period after blocking a shot. Little is tied for the team lead with
eight goals and ranks third on the club with 15 points.
Forward Adam Lowry also is eligible to play for the Jets tonight. He served a
one-game suspension on Friday for a hit from behind against Buffalo two nights
earlier.
The Jets won two of three versus the Oilers last season.
