The Edmonton Oilers may have stumbled into something they haven’t had in years: real stability in goal.
Through 20 games, Devon Levi and Tristan Jarry have both given Edmonton the kind of netminding that changes the mood around an entire team. Jarry backed that up Wednesday night, turning aside 30 of 32 shots in a 3-2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Levi had already turned in a strong performance against the New York Rangers on Monday, and together the two have helped push the Oilers into a very different conversation than the one that followed those first two chaotic games against the Vancouver Canucks.
Since October 3, Edmonton owns a team save percentage of .918, which ranks first in the NHL over that stretch. Matt Tomkins also chipped in with two games in that span, finishing with an .888 save percentage.
For a team that opened the season with plenty of questions in net, this is a sharp turn. Jarry came into the year after a rough start to his Oilers run last season, while Levi arrived still largely untested after spending all of last year in the AHL. Frederik Andersen was added to provide veteran insurance, but he has missed the first 20 games with injury.
That uncertainty hasn’t disappeared completely. In fact, the opposite has happened: both Levi and Jarry have been so effective that the Oilers still don’t have a clear answer on who should be the everyday starter.
Levi appears to have the edge when healthy, and Edmonton has leaned his way more often. But Jarry has made a strong case of his own, and the numbers are close enough to keep the competition alive.
Levi is 8-1-0 with a .899 save percentage and a +1.02 GSAx. Jarry sits at 5-1-3 with a .907 save percentage and a -0.38 GSAx.
After Wednesday’s win, Zach Hyman pointed to the way the group in front of the goalies has helped make the job more manageable.
“It’s been great. I think goalies are doing their job,” Hyman said after Wednesday’s victory. “They both are playing very well, giving us a chance to win every night, making the saves they need to make.
“I think our structure is making it so the saves are more predictable.”
Jarry said the biggest shift for him has been the confidence level.
“I think just confidence that we can do it every night… It doesn’t really matter who is in net; I think we all want to play the same way for the guys,” Jarry said after Wednesday’s victory. “We can’t score goals, so we have to stand back there and do what we can, and I think Devon has done a great job, and Matt did a great job.
“We all have to keep working, and I think that helps a lot.”
He also added, "Just taking it shot by shot, there wasn't much more I could really do. Other than that, I was just focusing on one shot at a time. The guys did a good job with rebounds."
Head coach Mike Babcock was pleased with the goaltending, but he also made it clear he wants more from the team in front of it.
“Our goaltending has been way better than we want it to have to be,” Babcock told reporters following the win against the Flyers. “I think our goalies have been good, and I think we’ve played with good structure most nights to not give up a ton.”
Even with room to clean things up, Edmonton’s 14-3-3 start is hard to argue with. The bigger story is that the Oilers’ biggest question mark from recent seasons has suddenly become one of their strengths.
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Oilers Escaped Again But One Problem Is Starting To Loom
Zach Hyman gave Edmonton the kind of lift it needed in a 3-2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Oilers kept their strong start rolling at 14-3-3. Tristan Jarry also turned in a solid night in goal, helping Edmonton escape with two points in a game that still had enough loose moments to leave a familiar aftertaste.
Mike Babcocks concern afterward was not about the result so much as the defensive lapses that kept the Flyers in it. With a six-game road trip coming up and Toronto on deck on November 14, the Oilers are carrying a good record and a growing reminder that the margin for error can disappear fast if the details do not tighten up. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]