Tristan Jarry’s performance gave Edmonton the escape hatch it needed on Wednesday night, but the Oilers left with more questions than comfort after a 3-2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Zach Hyman put it plainly afterward: “You never complain about wins,” he said. Edmonton won, improved to 14-3-3, and banked two points.
But the way it got there was hardly clean. Head coach Mike Babcock wanted something closer to a finished product than the messy version the Oilers showed against a Flyers team that came harder and hungrier.
That was the same story as their previous win over the New York Rangers: Edmonton wasn’t sharp, but it survived. Against Philadelphia, Hyman did his part with two goals, one coming after a missed shot created a rebound chance and the other arriving on the power play.
“Wins are hard to come by in this league,” he said. “Every team, doesn’t matter where they are.
The margins are so thin.”
The Flyers still pushed back with two unanswered goals, including one that held up after Edmonton challenged for goaltender interference. That left the Oilers leaning on Jarry’s brilliance just to get to overtime, and it underscored the concern Babcock is carrying: too much reliance on goaltending heroics, not enough control of the game.
The bigger issue is the pattern. Edmonton has now won games it probably didn’t deserve, and that’s not a sustainable habit. The timing makes it even more awkward, because the last time the Oilers strung together two wins they likely didn’t earn, Toronto was next on the schedule and handed them a 7-2 loss that plenty saw coming.
This time, Toronto is waiting again. Edmonton opens a six-game road trip against the Maple Leafs on November 14th, and a repeat of that kind of collapse is the last thing the Oilers need.
In Other News...
Oilers Suddenly Have A Goalie Decision That Could Get Complicated
Ahead of a game against the Flyers, Mike Babcock found himself talking less about the opponent and more about a problem that could shape the Oilers next stretch: what to do with a goaltending group that suddenly looks crowded. Devon Levi and Tristan Jarry have both given Edmonton solid play, giving the staff reasons to trust either one in the crease while the team waits for its veteran option to work back into the picture.
Frederik Andersen is still about a month and a half away from returning, and his eventual comeback adds another layer to a situation that already has some moving parts. Edmonton may end up sorting through a three-goalie rotation, but the longer this holds together, the more the front office will have to think about whether the answer comes internally or through a move at the trade deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Escape Flyers But This Win Will Split Fans
The Oilers needed overtime to get past Philadelphia 3-2, and the result came with enough good and bad to keep the postgame conversation lively. Zach Hyman gave Edmonton a major boost with two goals, including his first multi-goal game of the season, while Tristan Jarry made a string of key saves to keep the Flyers from taking control when the game tightened up.
Evan Bouchard eventually finished it in overtime, giving Edmonton the extra point and a win that felt more like a survival test than a clean statement. For a team still trying to find a steadier rhythm, the night offered plenty to like, but also enough uneven stretches to leave fans debating what mattered more: the comeback feel, the goaltending, or the way the game had to be rescued late. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Suddenly Have A Goalie Debate Fans Wont Mind
The first 20 games have given Edmonton something every contender wants and almost never gets for free: dependable goaltending from two different netminders. Devon Levi and Tristan Jarry have both settled in well enough that the Oilers have built an early-season cushion in the crease, with Levi going 8-1-0 and Jarry adding a 5-1-3 start while the team has piled up wins behind them.
Mike Babcock has noticed the difference, and the broader picture is just as encouraging for Edmonton. The structure in front of the goalies has helped keep shots manageable, which makes the current debate less about a problem and more about a good thing the Oilers will have to sort through as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]