Calvin Pickard played well against the Minnesota Wild, but gave up four goals. That's not a positive sign for Connor Ingram, who will get the start on Sunday as the Edmonton Oilers head home to take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Oilers had their chances offensively, but will have to play much better defensively to give Ingram some confidence as he tries to prove he's still got game left in the NHL. Because his AHL numbers have not been good, he'll need all the help he can get.
Edmonton's attention to detail on Saturday isn't going to cut it with a huge question mark between the pipes. In November (see video above), I discussed the likelihood that the Oilers would give Ingram a look and whether there was a clear path to the NHL for him. I was partially right, but my timing was off.
At that time, Edmonton was still figuring out the situation with Stuart Skinner and Pickard. I assumed the Oilers would make an external change before going to Ingram. They did. Unfortunately, no one expected the change they made to be out of the lineup with an injury in his third start.
Now, Ingram is the guy, ready or not. The Oilers have no choice but to find out.
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Despite a .889 save percentage, Pickard wasn’t the problem Saturday afternoon. If anything, he was the reason the game stayed competitive as long as it did. The real issues sat higher up the food chain — in how the Oilers managed the game, handled pressure, and responded when a dagger goal at the end of the first period changed the energy level.
The Oilers weren’t outplayed for long stretches. In fact, there were plenty of opportunities in the third period to even the game. After clawing back in the first, they pushed, created chances, and tried again late in the game. It wasn't enough, as Filip Gustavsson was great for the Wild, and when the opportunity arose, Minnesota capitalized on Edmonton's mistakes.
Unfortunately, the Oilers can't afford to make those mistakes when Ingram takes the net on Sunday.
Report: Oilers Had Interest In Sabres Goalie Before Jarry TradeThe Oilers reportedly had another goalie on their radar before they acquired Tristan Jarry from the Penguins. He'll be up against Carter Hart -- Vegas' backup -- so both netminders have a lot to prove. It will be a storyline of two goalies, many of whom will wonder how much is left in the tank. To make life easier for Ingram, the Oilers need to help him get settled. An early lead and nearly mistake-free hockey will be key -- almost the opposite storyline from Saturday's matinee game.
This game came down to the smaller details.
Leon Draisaitl got frustrated after a soft cross-checking call. On the ensuing two penalties, the Wild's Matt Boldy made one of those minors count. Later in the game, Evan Bouchard stuttered when he thought a penalty should have been called and an offside was missed. Finally, when Edmonton thought they were close on the game-tying goal in a scrum in front of Gustavsson, the Wild turned, went the other way, and scored.
Mistakes happened, and Minnesota struck when they did. The Oilers' awareness slipped at exactly the wrong time.
The late breakdowns will be a problem if Ingram isn't up to snuff. And, there's absolutely no way to know if he will be until he takes the goal and faces a few shots.
That’s where the bigger questions start to form. How confident can the Oilers possibly be in a goalie who has bad numbers in the minors and hasn't shown anything of note since the 2023-24 season?
A Lengthy Injury for Tristan Jarry Is a Problem
There is no update on Tristan Jarry's status. A long-term injury leaves Edmonton in a very tricky situation -- one where they'll need to decide whether making a play for someone like Alex Lyon is the right move and whether they can pull it off, with the Buffalo Sabres well aware they have all the leverage.
The road trip was still productive, that's the good news. Despite the setbacks, the Oilers aren’t broken. But games like this linger because there are too many unanswered questions, Ingram being the biggest of them.
The Oilers will need to play a more mature game against the Golden Knights. It should be more in line with the way they played against the Boston Bruins if they want a shot to win. The Golden Knights are beat up and coming in with key guys out of the lineup. Jumping on them early will be key.
From there, the Oilers can only hope the news on Jarry isn't terrible.
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