Cam Dineen scores OT winner as Oilers ground Jets in pre-season

EDMONTON, Alta. — Defenceman Cam Dineen scored the overtime winner and added an assist as the Edmonton Oilers started NHL pre-season play on Sunday with a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

Sam O’Reilly and Raphael Lavoie also scored for the Oilers (1-0) who are coming off their devastating loss in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers.

David Gustafsson and Dominic Toninato scored for the Jets, who dropped to 0-1-1 in exhibition action.

Winnipeg scored on the game’s first shot just 17 seconds in, as Gustafsson tipped a Logan Stanley point shot past Oilers’ goaltender Olivier Rodrigue.

The Oilers responded with a goal on their first shot of the contest as well, as the 2024 32nd overall draft pick O’Reilly took a stretch pass from Dineen and split the defence up the middle before beating Jets’ starter Eric Comrie, the goal coming 3:23 into the first.

The shots were only 6-4 for Edmonton through the opening 20 minutes.

Collin Delia, who spent last season with the Jets’ AHL affiliate the Manitoba Moose, came in to replace Rodrigue in the Edmonton net midway through the second.

There was no scoring in the second period, with Edmonton leading 19-9 on the shot clock heading into the third.

Edmonton finally broke the deadlock midway through the third on the power play as Lavoie sent a one-timer from the top of the left circle past Comrie.

That lead only lasted 10 seconds, however, as the Jets tied the game when Kevin He sent the puck out in front to Toninato and he hammered it past Delia, eventually sending the game to extra time.

Edmonton scored the winner 1:17 into overtime after a big hit by Vasily Podkolzin created a two-on-one and Dineen lugged the puck down ice before cutting across and sending a snap shot past Comrie.

NOTES

Both teams dressed squads extremely light on NHL experience, most players having spent all or the majority of their time in the AHL last season … A pair of veterans on the Oilers roster were both of their players on personal tryout offers, forward Mike Hoffman and defenceman Travis Dermott. … The Jets were playing for the second night in a row, having lost 5-2 to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday in the Manitoba capital. Kaapo Kahkonen made 23 saves in the loss in his Jets debut. … Comrie, an Edmonton native, made his first start in a Jets jersey since May 1, 2022, as he auditioned for a backup role with the team.

UP NEXT

Oilers: Play home-and-home split-squad games against the Calgary Flames on Monday.

Jets: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.