PREVIEW: Oilers at Jets

The Edmonton Oilers play the first game of a back-to-back on Sunday as they visit the Winnipeg Jets.

They'll return home to Rogers Place on Monday to host the Los Angeles Kings.

Watch the game on Sportsnet at 5pm MDT or listen on the Oilers Radio Network, including 880 CHED.

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PREVIEW: Oilers vs. Jets

WINNIPEG, MB – Post-season berth secured. Final playoff prep commences.

The Oilers locked in their sixth consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Friday with a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks, and they now have three games left on their regular season schedule starting with Sunday's road matchup in Winnipeg.

The Blue & Orange sit four points back of their soon-to-be first-round playoff opponent, the Kings, with a slight chance to regain second place in the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage in the series.

"The NHL schedule, it's a grind," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. "I think we've done a pretty good job of battling through that mental fatigue. And then as you get closer to playoff time, which we have, in the last few weeks you're thinking about possible first-round matchups and clinching and all those things, and the importance of winning games to get into the playoffs. The guys have been focused. Unfortunate on the injury aspect, losing so many guys, but this is an exciting time."

The Jets are coming off a big night on Saturday as they clinched first place in both the Central Division and Western Conference with a 5-4 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Sunday's game is Edmonton's first trip to Winnipeg this season, as the Oilers hosted their first two meetings with the Jets, which resulted in a lopsided 6-0 defeat in the season opener on October 9, followed by a 4-3 overtime loss on March 20.

The Oiles have, however, won their last two trips to Manitoba's capital and three of their last four.

Despite missing multiple key players over the past few weeks – with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Trent Frederic, Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman, John Klingberg and Stuart Skinner all absent at various points – the Oilers have still managed to win five of their last seven games and two in a row heading into Sunday in Winnipeg.

"You want everybody healthy, but there's nothing you can do," said Corey Perry, whose 17th goal of the season in career game 1,389 was the eventual winner on Friday against the Sharks.

"If guys can't play, they can't play. You have to rally around the guys that are on the ice and come together. I think we have a group in here that can step up and fill holes and play bigger minutes, play bigger roles and get the job done."

McDavid did make his triumphant return to the lineup for Wednesday's 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues, and the captain has assisted on seven of the team's last eight goals.

"Makes a huge difference," Perry said of McDavid's return. "He's the best player in the world for a reason. He's come in and he's looked like Connor McDavid, and we don't expect anything different. That's who he is and that's how he plays each and every night."

With both Ekholm and Hyman unable to finish Friday's game vs. San Jose, the Oilers announced Saturday they've recalled defenceman Cam Dineen and forward Derek Ryan from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors on an emergency basis.

On the flip side of Friday's injury report, Skinner dressed for the first time since March 26 and backed up Calvin Pickard. He is expected to tend the twine against the Jets on Sunday and start again in Edmonton's regular season finale on Wednesday in San Jose, while Pickard plays the Kings at home on Monday.