Team

Betting

OilersNation has no direct affiliation to the Edmonton Oilers, Oilers Entertainment Group, NHL, or NHLPA

Instant Reaction: Viljami Marjala scores OT winner to lift Oilers over Jets 2-1

Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

By Cynthia Ryley Delaney

Sep 22, 2026, 23:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 22, 2026, 23:22 EDT

Comments

Let’s hope that this game ends up being the most boring Edmonton Oilers game of the season.

On Tuesday evening, the Oilers played their second of four pre-season games, with Viljami Marjala’s overtime winner the difference in a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets to move their pre-season record to 2-0-0.

Neither team’s best players played, but we saw the preseason debuts of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Connor Murphy, Jake Walman, Devon Levi, Trent Frederic, Kasperi Kapanen, and Shakir Mukhamadullin, as well as Eduards Tralmaks, Viljami Marjala, and Atro Leppanen.

Let’s take a look at what went on in this low-event game.

Scoring summary

With about seven minutes left in the first period, Josh Brown failed to connect on a breakout pass, instead finding a Jets’ stick. Nino Neiderreiter was the player to pick off the pass, and his shot from the point missed the net. However, it took a favourable bounce off the boards and landed on the stick of Alex Iafallo, who beat Devon Levi to make it 1-0.

Winnipeg Jets

@NHLJets

·Follow

Don't worry he called bank 😉📐

Watch on X

12:33 AM · Sep 23, 2026

143

Read 7 replies

That lead lasted a little under three minutes. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins won an offensive zone faceoff back to defenceman Atro Leppänen. The 27-year-old ripped it from the point, finding a hole through the Jets’ netminder to tie the game 1-1. Despite the contact with Zach Hyman, who provided the screen on the shot, the Jets did not challenge for goaltender interference.

Edmonton Oilers

@EdmontonOilers

·Follow

Leppa let it fly ✈️ #LetsGoOilers

Watch on X

12:41 AM · Sep 23, 2026

128

Read 6 replies

Neither team scored for the remainder of the regulation, meaning overtime was needed. Just over a minute into free hockey, Dylan Samberg’s slapshot missed the target, giving the Oilers a rush chance. Zach Hyman picked it up, waited for Viljami Marjala to get it off the bench, and fed the Finnish centre on the fly. Marjala beat Dominic Divincentiis for the 2-1 overtime victory.

TSN

@TSN_Sports

·Follow

OT WINNER 🚨 Viljami Marjala snipes home the pass from Zach Hyman to win it for the Edmonton Oilers!

Watch on X

2:38 AM · Sep 23, 2026

Read 4 replies

What were the key takeaways for the Edmonton Oilers in this game?

I was already planning to sing Viljami Marjala’s praises, but man, the Oilers may have a player here. Forget the overtime winner, the Finn was the Oilers’ best player in this game. He has terrific vision and is reliable defensively. I don’t know how big his impact will be, but he could play NHL games this season.

Fellow Finn Atro Leppänen also had a solid game, picking up a goal and finishing as a plus-1 in his 16:30 of ice time. The left-shot defenceman is unlikely to make the opening night roster given the Oilers’ depth, but he could end up making his NHL debut at some point this season as well.

Between the pipes, Devon Levi played the first two periods, stopping 12 of the 13 shots he faced, giving him a .923 save percentage. He didn’t have much of a chance on the only goal he allowed. Connor Ungar played the third period and 96 seconds of the overtime period, stopping all five shots he faced. One of those shots were of the high-danger variety.

Connor Murphy and Jake Walman were defence partners in this game, with both defenders playing upwards of 23 minutes. These two could end up being a defence pairing this season, so it’s good to see them get their reps in.

Shakir Mukhamadullin was paired with Josh Brown, meaning he finished the night as a minus-1 in his 21:25 of ice time. He blocked three shots (behind Murphy’s five blocks and Walman’s four blocks), but failed to lay the body. Brown’s turnover resulted in a goal, and it’s unlikely he appears in a game for the Oilers this season.

Isaac Howard had another quiet game, less than encouraging for a player pencilled in to start in the Oilers’ top six. He played alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, and while they were on the ice for a five-on-five goal, Howard had nothing to do with it. Overall, they finished with 36.67 per cent of the expected goal share, the second-worst for any Oiler line. He did create a couple of chances for Zach Hyman, though, including on the power play.

The Josh Samanski, Trent Frederic, Kasperi Kapanen line was the lone line that finished with a goal share above 50 per cent, owning 54.53 per cent of the expected goal share. They outshot opposition two to one.

The Oilers are back in action on Thursday, as they head to British Columbia to take on the Vancouver Canucks at 7:00 PM MT. After that, there’s just one more pre-season game (on Saturday) before the real thing begins next Tuesday.

Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFOEdmonton, DFOCalgary, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @CynthiaRDelaney.

THE FIRST NATION VACATION OF THE 2026/27 SEASON IS HERE!

Toronto is calling — and this isn’t your average hockey trip.

The first 2026/27 Nation Vacation presented by JetSet Parking is here, and we’re taking over Toronto for one hell of a weekend.

From November 13–16, 2026, you’ll experience Edmonton vs. Toronto from a VIP suite surrounded by your people, fellow Nation fans and special guests who’ll make this more than just a night at the rink.

Add in Nation events, a pre-game celebration, a downtown Toronto stay and a weekend built around hockey, and you’ve got an experience you simply can’t get from buying a ticket and booking a hotel.

And you can reserve your spot with just $500 down.

Bring the jersey. Bring your crew. We’ll bring the Nation.

A hockey trip is good. A Nation Vacation is better.

RESERVE YOUR TRIP at nationexperiences.ca.