Viljami Marjala scored 1:26 into overtime to lift the Edmonton Oilers to a 2-1 victory over the host Winnipeg Jets in NHL preseason action at Canada Life Centre on Tuesday (Sept. 22).
Defenceman Atro Leppanen also lit the lamp for the Oilers, while Alex Iafallo potted Winnipeg’s lone goal. The teams were tied for all but 2:46 of regulation, with each team scoring in the first period.
Devon Levi and Connor Ungar split goaltending duties for Edmonton, with the former making 12 saves on 13 shots over the first two frames, and the latter allowing one goal on five shots in the third period and overtime. Jets netminder Domenic DiVincentiis was beaten twice on 23 shots.
Several Oilers made their 2026 preseason debut on Tuesday, while Edmonton’s biggest stars, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisiaitl and Evan Bouvchard, had the night off.
With the victory, Edmonton is now 2-0 this preseason. The Oilers also defeated Winnipeg, by a score of 5-2, at Rogers Place last Saturday (Sept. 19).
Sleepy Affair in Winnipeg
There are low-scoring hockey games that are very exciting, but this was not one of them. Not much at all happened in Tuesday’s contest, as neither team was eager to take many chances.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing in the case of the Oilers, who were often their own worst enemy last season, losing games with self-inflicted wounds. There are hopes that the Oilers will shore things up in 2026-27 under the direction of new coach Mike Babcock.
The tenor of this game probably wasn’t as much a reflection of Babcock’s influence, however. More likely it was because Edmonton iced a lineup with several players battling for roster spots, and they were being careful not to make mistakes. That said, in limiting Winnipeg to just 18 shots over 60-plus minutes of hockey, the Oilers played a very sound game.
Marjala Continues to Impress
Tuesday marked the first game of the 2026 preseason for Marjala, who continues to turn heads with his hands every chance he gets.
The winger made no mistake burying the game-winning goal, taking a nice feed from Zach Hyman and stepping into a shot on the fly, wiring the puck past DiVincentiis. He finished the game with a plus-one rating, with two shots on goal and one shot missed over 14:58 ice time.
Viljami Marjala, Edmonton Oilers (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)
Marjala was arguably Edmonton’s best player in the Next Gen Showcase, a Rookie Camp exhibition game against the Calgary Flames on Sept. 14, leading the Oilers to a 6-1 victory with three assists. On that night, he showcased his playmaking ability. On Tuesday, Marjala got to show that he’s also got a scorer’s touch.
The 23-year-old Finn, who racked up 60 points with the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League (AHL) last season, wasn’t really expected to contend for a spot on Edmonton’s season-opening roster, but he’s giving Babcock and co. something to think about.
Levi Shows His Stuff
Tuesday marked the first ever game as an Oiler for Levi, who Edmonton acquired via trade from the Buffalo Sabres on July 1, and he made a good impression.
The 24-year-old netminder exhibited poise in the crease, showed his lateral quickness, and demonstrated great puck-handling ability. He can’t really be faulted for Winnipeg’s goal, which came after Jets forward Nino Neiderreiter fired a shot wide, only to have the puck take a favourable bounce off the back boards and land right on the stick of a wide open Iafallo at the side of the net.
After spending all last season in the AHL, Levi is looking to kickstart his career, and he has a real opportunity now. With veteran Oilers goalie Frederik Anderson likely unavailable for the beginning of the regular season because of an undisclosed injury, it will be either Levi or Tristan Jarry between the pipes when Edmonton opens its 2026-27 schedule next Tuesday (Sept. 29) versus the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place.
Expectations are that Jarry and Levi will each get a start in Edmonton’s remaining two preseason games, against the Canucks at Rogers Arena on Thursday (Sept. 24), and at home versus the Flames on Saturday (Sept. 26).
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