While the Edmonton Oilers collected a 3-1 victory on Thursday evening over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden, they experienced a concerning personnel loss that has already forced them into calling up reinforcements from the American Hockey League.
Goaltender Tristan Jarry was felled by an injury during the second period of play, and wasn’t able to return to the contest. He was replaced in goal by Calvin Pickard, and now reports indicate that Jarry has returned to Edmonton for further evaluation.
Pickard stopped every shot that he faced from the Bruins in relief of Jarry and was credited with the victory. He also indicated afterward that he knew his new teammate was hurt as soon as he saw him slide across in an attempt to make a save.
“Right away, when he made that push across, it didn’t look good, so I figured I’d be going in,” Pickard said postgame. “You don’t have much time to think about it, you just get out there and play. It was a good win.”
In Jarry’s absence, the Oilers have called up goaltender Connor Ingram, whom they acquired prior to the season, from the American Hockey League affiliate Bakersfield Condors, and have also announced that Jarry has been placed on Injured Reserve.
Ingram’s numbers this season in Bakersfield aren’t exactly encouraging, as he’s gone 4-5-2 with a 4.04 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage in 11 games played.
Last season with the Utah Hockey Club, Ingram compiled a record of 9-8-4 with a 3.27 goals-against average and an .882 save percentage in 22 games played.
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Edmonton Oilers Coach Kris Knoblauch Didn’t Have Much of an Update On Jarry Afterward
Following the game, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch was naturally asked about Jarry’s condition, but he offered few details.
“We’ll see. I’m not sure how serious it is,” Knoblauch said. “I’ve got no updates.”
The lack of details from Knoblauch has sparked natural speculation that the injury to Jarry could potentially be worse than expected.
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The Oilers Have Now Been Left Scrambling After The Injury to Tristan Jarry
The Oilers pulled off a major trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins one week ago today, as they traded goaltender Stuart Skinner along with defenseman Brett Kulak to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Jarry.
Additionally, they also received forward Sam Poulin in the deal.
The reasoning for Oilers general manager Stan Bowman to finally pull the trigger on making a considerable acquisition between the pipes was that he felt Jarry would offer more stability at the position that has been sorely lacking for the Oilers in recent seasons despite their two straight advancements to the Stanley Cup Final.
While they managed to convince All-Star team captain Connor McDavid to extend his relationship with the franchise with a two-year contract, many feel that the window for the Oilers to win what would be their first Stanley Cup since 1990 is dependent on what McDavid chooses to do following the conclusion of his most recent extension.
Jarry has had his own issues with consistency, and even found himself being placed on waivers and later relegated to the AHL by the Penguins last season, and the trade of Skinner for Jarry has been heavily scrutinized.
But now, because of the injury to Jarry, the Oilers could be forced into making additional moves if the ailment ultimately turns out to be serious.
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