WINNIPEG — The fact that Neal Pionk has come to camp feeling better about himself is already starting to pay off.
The veteran defenceman produced one goal and three assists to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 6-1 whipping of the Edmonton Oilers in an NHL pre-season game on Wednesday night.
"You know, he's feeling really good about himself coming into this camp,” said Jets coach Scott Arniel.
“He really wants to step out and really come back and be the player that he was here a couple years ago. I've got a lot of time for Neal. We go back to New York. He's a guy, to me, that just cares about being a Winnipeg Jet. He loves playing here. He's extremely popular with his teammates and that was a really good first step for him."
Arniel noted that last season Pionk lost his good friend, Adam Johnson, who suffered a fatal skate cut to the neck last year.
“One thing that gets overlooked is that was a pretty personal thing that happened to him over the course of last year, losing his best friend," Arniel said. "It hit him maybe a little harder than people thought.
"He had a summer where he got to spend a lot of time with the Johnson family, his wife, so he's now in a better place and he's pretty excited about this year."
Pionk also set up goals scored by Kyle Connor, Colin Miller and Brad Lambert.
“It's all about good habits,” Pionk said. “(Arniel) preached that before the game, after the game, during the game. So, doesn't matter who you're playing in pre-season, roster-wise, doesn't matter who you're playing with. Got to create good habits and get into shape for the year.”
Adam Lowry, with a short-handed goal, and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored for Winnipeg (1-1-1).
Connor Brown replied for Edmonton (1-3-0).
Kaapo Kahkonen made 26 saves on 27 shot shots for Winnipeg, which recorded its first win of the pre-season, before 12,367 fans at the Canada Life Centre.
“He bailed me out three-four times. Don't forget that. So, make that note," Pionk said. "No, he was really good. Played the puck well, handled rebounds really well, came up with a couple big saves.”
Stuart Skinner, in his first start of the pre-season, stopped 23 of 27 shots for Edmonton before being replaced by Collin Delia to start the third.
Delia stopped eight of 10 shots.
"(Skinner) did make a lot of big saves in the first period," said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch. “Often, you see a goaltender let in four and think he had a bad night — especially after two periods — but that wasn’t the case at all. It was just the quality of chances that they had.”
The Oilers left most of their regular starters at home.
“It’s awesome that you get to play pretty much against a full roster of veteran NHL players,” said Edmonton’s Brett Kulak. In pre-season, you want the challenge, you want to get the feeling in the pace and the puck movement that those guys have at that level. So, it was a perfect scenario.”
Brown deflected a point shot by Noel Hoefenmayer with 3:28 left in the game to get the Oilers on the scoreboard.
Lowry scored the short-handed goal midway through the third period to give the Jets a commanding 6-0 lead.
Lambert had greeted Delia by beating him with a wrist shot on the power play just 1:13 into the third.
“It’s tougher battles here in the NHL and it’s a step up from the American (Hockey) League, but that’s what I work for all summer,” said Lambert, who also had an assist. “So, I feel like I am doing pretty well, and obviously can and will still improve."
Rasmus Kupari sent Pionk towards the net. Pionk then beat Skinner on a screened backhand shot late in the second to give Winnipeg a 4-0 lead.
The Jets upped the score to 3-0 on the power play midway through the second when Miller whipped a wrist shot past Skinner from the point.
Winnipeg took a 2-0 lead early in the second when Mark Scheifele sent Connor in alone on a breakaway from the blue line. The speedster deked Skinner, then beat him with a backhand shot.
The Jets opened the scoring midway through the first period when Ehlers finished off a pretty, tick-tack-toe passing play with Vladislav Namestnikov.
NOTES: Defenceman Simon Lundmark was a last-minute replacement for Logan Stanley … The Oilers left superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl at home as the Jets dressed a star-laden lineup.
NEXT UP
Jets: Visit Minneapolis to face the Wild on Friday.
Oilers: Return home to host the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2024.
Jim Bender, The Canadian Press