Harkins' three-point night powers Winnipeg Jets to 5-1 win over Edmonton Oilers
It may have been a pre-season tilt against a watered-down opponent, but forward Jansen Harkins made a case for full-time employment with the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night.
Harkins, who was in and out of the lineup last season, had two goals and an assist to lead Winnipeg to a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in a game before 15,078 fully-vaccinated fans at the Canada Life Centre.
"Pretty fun, obviously," Harkins said. "Any time you come back from a summer off-season, it's fun to get back on the ice. The fans are pretty electric and scoring goals is one of the best things you can do out there. Yeah. Good night tonight."
Harkins was aware of the impression he has made thus far.
"We've got a lot of young guys fighting for spots, a lot of good players," he said. "We've generally been a pretty veteran team the last few years, so there's a couple of spots right now everyone's really chasing for. Competition is pretty good."
Evgeny Svechnikov, who played on a line with Harkins and centre Cole Perfetti, had a goal and two assists.
"I think Harks is obviously pretty fast," said Svechnikov, who set up Harkins with a nifty pass on his second goal. "Any time he has a chance in the rush, you can hit him and have a breakaway like he scored. It's been fun with that.
"And obviously Perfetti, Cole, he is very skilled and, in small areas, is very good with his hands and can create space and make plays. I think we all feel that and it's been fun."
Jets coach Paul Maurice likes what he's seen from that line.
"They've been pretty good," he said. "They got a chance to play together a little bit. Some good things with the puck. I think they worked real hard at their game.
"For those guys, exhibition means a lot. Those are big games for those three guys. They've got something to show, something to prove. And they worked with each other on the bench, that's part of it, too. They were quick, made plays, showed some confidence. It was good."
Austin Poganski and Kyle Connor rounded out the scoring for Winnipeg.
Brad Malone scored Edmonton's lone goal.
In two periods, Edmonton netminder Ilya Konovalov made 17 saves on 21 shots before giving way to Stuart Skinner in the third. Skinner then made six saves.
I know we lost pretty big but I thought both of our goaltenders were fine tonight," said Oilers coach Dave Tippett. "We didn't protect them very well. … There was one good deflection (by Svechnikov) and the other one (Poganski's) bounced off a guy's head or something.
"It was one of those nights. We didn't create very much, we didn't make very good plays and that's what we're looking at. We're looking for players that under pressure can make plays under pressure, how they react under certain situations and some goes up and some guys go down and that's just where we are in training camp."
Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck stopped 17-of-18 shots.
Wednesday was the first of a home-and-home series between the two teams. The Jets will play the Oilers in Edmonton on Saturday night. It will be the first of a quick, two-game, two-day road trip for the Jets, who will play the Canucks in Vancouver on Sunday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.