Delia dazzles in Jets shootout win over Oilers

Collin Delia probably figured he would be in for a relatively busy night in his preseason debut with the Winnipeg Jets.

That’s the nature of the beast when the No. 3 goalie in the organization is tapped on the shoulder to start the opening game of the preseason on the road against the Edmonton Oilers.

Even without superstars Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl in the lineup, the Oilers forced Delia to get up to speed quickly, as he was peppered with shots on goal and faced glorious opportunities.

Delia proved to be up to the task, turning aside 36 of 37 shots that he faced (plus three more in the penalty-shot contest) in what turned into a 2-1 shootout victory for the Jets over the Oilers on Sunday at Rogers Place.

“I felt like maybe I got a little sloppy as the game went on,” Delia told CJOB during the post-game show. “Quite honestly, I could have been a bit better with rebound control and maybe making some smarter plays with the puck.

“But ultimately, we battled, we hung around, and those are the type of games that are kind of like identity games. Right out of the gate, you want to set that example for yourself and for the younger guys too. Ultimately, I think we all gutted it out in the end and found a way.”

Modest as he may have been, Delia was the biggest reason this game even got to extra time.

The number of times he was forced to show off his athletic ability to push across the crease to prevent a backdoor tap-in reached at least three and he was also stretched out his right pad to prevent a wraparound attempt during the third period.

The only shot to get past him came on a rebound after a pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was redirected in the slot and ultimately banged home by Zach Hyman during an Oilers power play.

“You just want to feel pucks. You want to control as much as you can and maybe slow the game down a bit,” said Delia. “Everyone’s got a little jitters, first time out here, so just trying to control the pace a little bit and yeah. Make a couple saves, touch the puck a couple times.”

Although Delia wasn’t in the mood to heap praise on himself, Jets head coach Rick Bowness didn’t hold back when asked for his assessment of his goaltender – who is pegged to carry a heavy load with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League this season.

“He was our best player,” Bowness told CJOB during the post-game show. “Really good first period. And then we spent a lot of time in our zone and he constantly made the big save for us and gave us a chance to win that thing in overtime.”

The two teams play a rematch on Monday night at Canada Life Centre, with both clubs expecting to ice vastly different lineups.

On an evening where shaking off the rust and trying to impress the coaching staff and management team were at the top of the priority list, here are some of the other items that stood out as the Jets played the first of six preseason games:

1) Young blue-liners make strong first impression – One of the storylines that doesn’t figure to go away anytime soon is related to how the defensive logjam becomes a little less cluttered and it’s up to guys like Declan Chisholm and Ville Heinola to ensure the battles go right down to the wire. Although each defence prospect benefitted from some veteran insulation (Chisholm with Dylan DeMelo and Heinola with Nate Schmidt), both youngsters showcased the skill sets that have them knocking on the door of regular employment. Both were active offensively and weren’t afraid to join the rush. Both were assertive, while not reckless. Strong reads were made and some sound defence – which is going to be critical if either Heinola or Chisholm are going to find themselves among the eight blue-liners who wind up on the 23-man roster – was played. Both players will need to elevate their respective games as the level of competition increases, but consider this an important step in the process.

2) Perfetti looks good in 2C audition – It’s his natural position and Cole Perfetti didn’t look out of place at all. His vision and passing ability were on full display, especially on his cross-ice feed to Jeff Malott for a one-timer that was stopped by Olivier Rodrigue. Perfetti also showed some early signs of chemistry with Nino Niederreiter. For good measure, Perfetti ended the contest with a slippery move and shot, as he was the only player to score from either team in the shootout. With Nikolaj Ehlers (neck spasms) returning to the ice on Sunday for a workout with head strength and conditioning coach Jake Wolff, the anticipation is rising for what that new look second line can do in a game situation.

3) Kid line noticeable at both ends – Brad Lambert, Danny Zhilkin and Nikita Chibrikov were involved in this one, generating several scoring chances, including a 2-on-1 rush where Lambert nearly scored. There were some extended shifts in the D-zone as the game wore on, but those are valuable reps against Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane and Hyman. Zhilkin showed great awareness by finding Kane on the back post, lifting his stick and preventing a rebound goal after Hyman’s wraparound attempt.

4) Toninato gets a leg up in battle for 13th forward job – Scoring a goal through the five-hole on a breakaway always helps, but Dominic Toninato also showed well on the penalty kill and made a bunch of smart, subtle plays. Over to you, David Gustafsson and company.

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