Oilers Forced Into Another Big Decision with Jarry After Utah Win

The Edmonton Oilers likely didn’t see enough of Tristan Jarry on Tuesday to make a determination about whether he’s going to get the start on Thursday against Vegas, or if the team will go back to Connor Ingram in a must-win game versus the Golden Knights. The idea against Utah was to see if Jarry could rebound after sitting, but the Oilers played such a staunch defensive game that Jarry wasn’t really tested.

---

Now, that leaves head coach Kris Knoblauch with a tougher question to answer: Does Edmonton run it back with Jarry on Thursday and risk him not playing well? Or, do they hope that a solid, but not great performance, is the catalyst to better games?

Clearly, the Oilers are happy to have gotten two points. They’re even more pleased with their overall team performance, limiting the Utah Mammoth to just 18 shots (three in the firs period). It was a solid road game that resembled a playoff-style win, which was something the Oilers sorely needed. What they also could have used was some certainty around Jarry.

They didn’t really get it.

Jarry was good, but with only 16 saves, he wasn’t asked to be great. The first goal against was a double deflection off of two Oilers before the puck found its way to the back of the net. The second goal was a power play marker for Utah, where Lawson Crouse was left wide open in the slot. Neither goal was on Jarry. But, he also only made a couple of high-danger saves, which was a credit to the Oilers.

Jarry says the guys in front of him played awesome. “Just doing my thing and trying to grow with every period and every shot.”

Big Game Coming Up Versus the Golden Knights

Thursday, the Oilers travel to Vegas for a huge matchup against the Golden Knights. As it stands, Edmonton is one point ahead of Vegas in the Pacific Division standings. A win would put some separation between the two teams. Both clubs have only 10 games remaining and while it looks as though both will make the playoffs, the division lead is within reach.

For the Oilers, this is also as much about stringing a few solid efforts together. That’s something they’ve struggled to do all season. Jarry is included there, as he’s not played consistently. When he has played well, he tends to follow up a good performance with a bad one. That’s a habit that has to change, which might be one of the reasons to run it back with him against the Golden Knights. If he can put two solid games together, it could be a big boost for his confidence.

It may also force the Oilers to keep playing solid 200-foot hockey. With Jarry in goal, there is no room to get lackadaisical.

Next: Former NHLer Confident Connor McDavid Will Be a New York Ranger