Tristan Jarry gave the Edmonton Oilers exactly what they needed on Wednesday night: a calm, clean 24-save shutout in a 4-0 win over the Calgary Flames.
For a team leaning hard on its only available NHL goalie, that kind of night matters. Jarry stopped every one of Calgary’s 24 shots for the 24th shutout of his NHL career, and after a shaky start to the season, the performance felt like a real step in the right direction.
Connor McDavid saw it that way too.
"I thought he played great. Really, really good," said Connor McDavid, who collected his 33rd point this month and tied Wayne Gretzky (33 in 1986) for the third-most points in a single October in NHL history.
"Made some big saves, especially early in the game and in the second period there. Really, really solid."
Edmonton did not ask Jarry to steal the night. The Oilers controlled the game and kept the Flames from generating much pressure, but when Calgary did get looks, Jarry handled them. Head coach Mike Babcock pointed to the team effort in front of him, while also crediting the goalie for making sure nothing slipped through.
"I think the big thing tonight is we had a good team game; everybody was involved. Jars, a little bit there in the second period, had to make some saves, but overall we looked after him good," said head coach Mike Babcock. "But he didn't give up anything, and so that's a real good night for him and a good confidence builder."
That kind of outing is a welcome change after the rougher opening stretch to Jarry’s season. He was thrown into the starting role unexpectedly, and the early returns had plenty of Oilers fans flashing back to last season’s trade mess.
But this time, he has steadied himself. The bad starts have started to give way to better ones, and even in the 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, he wasn’t the reason things fell apart.
Wednesday looked different. Jarry was not just fine - he was a big part of the solution.
Edmonton’s situation in goal makes that even more important. The Oilers have little room to maneuver right now, and with back-to-back games ahead on this three-game road trip through New York, Babcock still would not commit to Matt Tomkins. Three games in four nights would seem to open the door for Tomkins to get a look, but with Devon Levi and Frederik Andersen unavailable, Edmonton is pinned to Jarry.
That puts a premium on nights like this one.
The Oilers also took another step toward putting the Toronto game behind them. They were blunt about how that one went, treating it like a wake-up call rather than a trend. McDavid didn’t sugarcoat it, but he also pointed out that the rest of the homestand showed plenty to work with.
“We just didn’t like the Toronto game. Every other game was OK,” said McDavid.
He added, “So there was lots to like from the homestand. Lots to build on too, as we continue to try and be better day in and day out.”
Jarry felt the same way. "I think the next couple of games we just kind of chipped away at it. I think over this homestand, we did a pretty good job of chipping away and playing our game."
If Edmonton keeps doing that, its 9-2-2 record starts looking less like a soft schedule story and more like a team that’s settling in. Stay organized defensively, get the kind of depth help the Oilers have gotten the past two games, and ask Jarry to handle the saves he should stop. That’s a formula that works, especially for a goalie who needs confidence and has nobody behind him to clean up the mess if things go sideways.
In Other News...
Oilers Crease Picture Gets More Uncertain As Devon Levi Waits
The Oilers goaltending picture remains a little murkier than they would like as Devon Levi continues to work back from an undisclosed injury he picked up last week. Edmonton has not had much clarity on when hell be ready to return, and the timing matters with the club still sorting out its crease usage as the schedule keeps moving.
Matt Tomkins traveling with the team on the three-game road trip suggests the Oilers are preparing for the possibility Levi needs a bit more time. For a team trying to keep its rotation stable, that kind of uncertainty is hardly ideal, especially when a quick return is not yet guaranteed. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Trade Theory Has Fans Wondering What Team USA Stars Know
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The same sort of blunt roster reality is making the rounds elsewhere in the league, where Vancouver is said to be weighing veteran trade possibilities after a rough skid and New Jersey has suddenly become the center of some unusual Olympic-era chatter. The Devils recent move for Connor Hellebuyck has only fueled speculation that Team USA names like Dylan Larkin and Quinn Hughes could be looking at the same destination, though nothing has been confirmed. For Edmonton fans, it is another reminder that the leagues rumor mill can turn fast, even when the real answer is still sitting a long way from public view. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Eyeing More Size For A Bottom Six Fans Will Debate
The Oilers search for a little more heft in the bottom six is starting to look like more than just idle roster chatter. Edmonton is reportedly interested in adding Rangers forward Matt Rempe, a move that would fit with the push for more physicality around the lineup as head coach Mike Babcock looks to toughen up the group and general manager Stan Bowman keeps scanning the trade market for help.
Rempe has seen limited action this season, and his situation adds another layer to the discussion because he is eligible for waivers. For Edmonton, the appeal is clear: a bigger, harder-to-play-against presence in a part of the lineup that can matter in the playoffs. For fans, though, the debate is just as easy to predict, since moves built around size usually come with plenty of opinions before anyone ever steps on the ice in an Oilers sweater. [Read more 🡒]