After picking up their first win in 2026 on Tuesday over the Predators, the Edmonton Oilers were back on the road for a single stop in Winnipeg for a rematch against the struggling Jets. And while it didn’t start out well for our beloved Oilers, you have to give the boys credit for how they kept fighting to crawl out of the two-goal hole they dug for themselves after 20 minutes. Not only did Edmonton erase that deficit, but they wrestled the game away from the Jets en route to a 4-3 win.

Listen, I’m not suggesting that the Oilers intentionally gave the Jets hope before ripping their hearts out and holding them in front of their faces with three straight goals, but I’m also not saying that didn’t happen. We all heard about the Jets’ 10-game losing streak (0-6-4) coming into Thursday’s game, which felt like a fantastic opportunity for our side, but what I didn’t expect was for Winnipeg’s 11th loss to be quite so painful. After the first period, the Jets were up 3-1, had outshot Edmonton 11-7, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling pretty down about where things were headed. Sure, goals two and three for Winnipeg were both weak and enraging, but I do appreciate that they didn’t manage to do anything else from there.

In fact, the Jets were kind of useless. From the second period onward, the ice may as well have been tilted entirely in Edmonton’s favour. The Oilers took over the final 40 minutes, and it really wasn’t close. They outshot the Jets 23-5, outscored them 3-0, and if you listened closely enough, you could actually hear Jets fans groaning in unison, the gentle hum of a broken city. What was most alarming was how opposite each team’s reaction was once things started going poorly. It’s not like the Oilers had a great start after giving up a field goal in the first period, but they found a way to push forward anyway. The Jets, meanwhile, looked like they wanted to pack up and go home every time the camera panned to their bench. I almost would have felt bad for them if I wasn’t still holding a grudge from when Winnipeg swept Edmonton in the weird all-Canadian playoffs.

I genuinely don’t know what we’re supposed to do with Connor McDavid at this point other than to keep marvelling at what he’s doing and try to do it justice as best I can. On Thursday against the Jets, McDavid tied his career-high 17-game point streak by scoring a ridiculous goal that went from his stick to skate to the back of the net in a snap, because even when things aren’t going perfectly for the team, it only takes a moment for No. 97 to pull you out of your seat. The goal was huge in the moment, too, cutting the Jets’ lead to 3-2 after 40 minutes and giving the Oilers life and hope going into the intermission. It was the kind of goal that only he can pull off, even though having McSupernova be the one to keep his team in the hunt was the least surprising part of the whole thing.

Seventeen straight games with a point. He has 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points over that stretch. Those are video game numbers, and the remarkable thing is that we can probably think of a time or two when he could have had more with a little luck. The guy is a freak, he’s the best player on earth, and the way his wizardry seems to be getting stronger is honestly beyond comprehension. Half the time, it looks like he’s skating in a different time zone than everyone else, seeing plays before they exist and making everyone else look worthy of relegation. I don’t know how long this heater will last, but I do know that watching Connor McDavid in January of 2026 feels like a privilege, and doing everything I can to lock these moments in as core memories.

After being healthy scratched again for Tuesday’s win over the Predators, Trent Frederic was back in the Oilers’ lineup with his usual spot on the fourth line. No, it’s not where we expected him to slot in when he signed that eight-year contract, but he was back in the mix nevertheless. That had me very interested to see how/if he would respond to this latest benching and whether he would do anything notable in his return. I wasn’t asking for perfection, but rather I just wanted to hear his name on the broadcast for more than a giveaway. I don’t think that’s unfair, and it’s definitely a very low bar to clear. But when a guy is struggling as badly as Frederic is right now, finding some forward momentum could be the first step to getting out of this funk.

In terms of the box score, Frederic didn’t give us much to work with. He finished the night with just 6:47 of TOI, no shots, no points, no hits, and no blocks, which obviously isn’t anywhere near good enough if he wants to claw his way back into the lineup. But hockey isn’t always clean or linear, and the one moment that did matter came at 17:34 of the second period when he dropped the mitts with the much bigger Logan Stanley. Even though he took on the biggest man on either team, the fight didn’t suddenly fix his brutal season so far, but it clearly registered with his teammates, as Evan Bouchard and Zach Hyman both mentioned the fight as a spark post-game. I’m not saying Frederic deserves all the credit for the Oilers’ comeback, but it’s hard to ignore that Connor McDavid scored just over two minutes later at 19:39. It’s still a long way from where Frederic needs to be, but maybe that scrap was a small step in the right direction as he tries to work his way out of the doghouse.

We’re heading back to Las Vegas for the next Nation Vacation, March 24–27, and you’re invited to join the ultimate hockey fan getaway. Trip packages start at $2,400, with the option to secure your spot for just 20% down. Enjoy roundtrip flights, a premium three-night stay at Circa Resort & Casino, access to Stadium Swim, exclusive watch parties, a Nation Citizens pool party, a party bus to T-Mobile Arena, and food and drinks included at the Edmonton vs. Vegas game. Multiple travel options mean you can book the trip your way—so lock in your spot now at nationgear.ca and come be part of the chaos in Vegas!