The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll break down the NHL playoff games today with the all-important television and live streaming information included.
• Four playoff games are on the docket for Wednesday: a Game 3, two Game 2’s, and the start of Jets - Oilers.
• Want to catch up on each night’s action in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs? Read the NHL Playoff Buzzer.
During the regular season, the Oilers went 7-2-0 against the Jets. That fact already makes Edmonton the favorite in many eyes over Winnipeg.
And, if you close your eyes and picture a best-on-best, don’t the Oilers have the edge over the Jets? Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler are great, but they’re not quite Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl?
[NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2021 First Round schedule, TV info]
Now, the gap might not be that big. Consider this breakdown from The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn (sub. required), and it’s possible the difference might be overblown.
Of course ... that would be with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Nikolaj Ehlers. Unfortunately, it’s not clear that the Jets will have Dubois and/or Ehlers in Game 1 vs. the Oilers, and who knows about the First Round series, in general?
#NHLJets HC Paul Maurice says that both Nikolaj Ehlers and Pierre-Luc Dubois will be on the trip and he’s calling them “game-time decisions” then added they would more likely be “game-time announcements.” Personally, I would put both players in the “doubtful” category for Game 1.
— Ken Wiebe (@WiebesWorld) May 18, 2021
Ehlers has been a transitional wonder for the Jets for a while. This is the season where it’s really all come together, as Ehlers generated 46 points in 47 games. He’s crucial, and it’s fair to ask if he’d be limited even if he can play.
Dubois hasn’t been a smash-hit in Winnipeg, but he was phenomenal during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In a series of high-level star power, Dubois could be a difference-maker. If he can play.
So, yes, the Jets are absolutely underdogs against the Oilers. Maybe that will suit them more than it seems?
[UPDATE: Jets head coach Paul Maurice said Dubois and Ehlers will not play in Game 1.]
[NBC 2021 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
TODAY’S NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Game 3: Capitals at Bruins (Series tied 1-1), 6:30 p.m. ET - NBCSN (livestream) Game 2: Predators at Hurricanes (CAR leads 1-0), 8 p.m. ET - CNBC (livestream) Game 1: Jets at Oilers, 9 p.m. ET - NBCSN (livestream) Game 2: Blues at Avalanche (COL leads 1-0), 10:30 p.m. ET - CNBC (livestream)
THURSDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Game 3: Panthers at Lightning (TB leads 2-0), 6:30 p.m. ET - CNBC (livestream) Game 3: Penguins at Islanders (Series tied 1-1), 7 p.m. ET - NBCSN (livestream) Game 1: Canadiens at Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m. ET (NHL Network) Game 3: Golden Knights at Wild (Series tied 1-1), 9:30 p.m. ET - NBCSN (livestream)
PHT’s 2021 Stanley Cup previews • Penguins vs. Islanders • Bruins vs. Capitals • Jets vs. Oilers • Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens • Lightning vs. Panthers • Hurricanes vs. Predators • Golden Knights vs. Wild • Avalanche vs. Blues
• Stanley Cup playoff predictions • Why your team can (and can not) win the Stanley Cup this season • NHL odds: Division winners, 2021 Stanley Cup champion • Which NHL playoff series has biggest upset potential?
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.