Talbot spoils party with 31-save shutout over Jets in Heritage Classic
WINNIPEG - Cam Talbot made 31 saves and Mark Letestu scored the first of three second-period goals, lifting the Edmonton Oilers over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday in an outdoor game delayed almost two hours by sunlight melting the ice.
The Heritage Classic victory extended Edmonton's winning streak to three in front of 33,240 at Investors Group Field. Fans wore both Jets and Oilers jerseys to the league's 19th outdoor game.
Zack Kassian had a goal and an assist and Darnell Nurse also scored for Edmonton.
Connor Hellebuyck, who had a tuque attached to his helmet, stopped 29 shots for Winnipeg.
The NHL said the start of the Heritage Classic game was delayed ''due to intermittent sunlight on the playing surface'' and ''in the interest of player safety.''
The Jets committed a series of errors that allowed Edmonton to break the game open in the second period.
Winnipeg was on a power play midway through the period when defenseman Dustin Byfuglien failed to get his stick on a loose puck in the Oilers end. Letestu picked it up and went in alone on Hellebuyck, beating him with a low shot for a shorthanded goal at 9:24.
Nurse emerged from the penalty box a couple minutes later and broke for a 2-on-1 with Connor McDavid. Nurse took a pass from McDavid, then sent a shot over Hellebuyck's glove with 8:50 left.
McDavid has four goals and five assists in six games.
Kassian gave the Oilers a three-goal advantage with 2:44 left after Jets rookie Patrik Laine turned over the puck.
Edmonton had a two-man advantage for 55 seconds midway through the third period but couldn't stretch its lead.
NOTES: Jets veteran defenseman Mark Stuart and forward Chris Thorburn were healthy scratches. The Oilers sat forward Anton Slepyshev and defenseman Matthew Benning.
UP NEXT
Oilers: Host the Capitals on Wednesday night.
Jets: Play at Dallas on Tuesday night.