The Edmonton Oilers continue to be a bit of a puzzle this season. They’re coming off an impressive 6-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday and currently sit second in the Pacific Division. Still, inconsistency remains an issue, as Edmonton has lost two of its last three games.
Amid that uneven stretch, Oilers fans received an update on goaltender Tristan Jarry, and the news came with both encouragement and disappointment.
Oilers Provide Injury Update on Tristan Jarry
Jarry was back on the ice on Tuesday as he was taking shots during an optional practice. It initially sparked optimism that his return could be close. However, that optimism was quickly tempered when the Oilers placed him on LTIR later in the day. Head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed that the team expects Jarry to be sidelined for at least a couple more weeks.
Jarry suffered a lower-body injury during last month’s 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins, forcing him to leave the game early. He was soon placed on injured reserve, halting what had been a strong start to his Oilers career. Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade involving Stuart Skinner, Jarry appeared in just three games for Edmonton and won all three.
Jarry’s placement on LTIR came as forward Kasperi Kapanen was activated off injured reserve. Out since October 19 with a lower-body injury, Kapanen returned Tuesday and made an immediate impact, contributing a goal and an assist in the win over Nashville.
The situation gave fans mixed feelings. While Jarry being back on the ice showed some progress, his placement on LTIR made it clear he’s still a way off from returning to games. In his absence, the Oilers have shared goaltending duties between Calvin Pickard and AHL call-up Connor Ingram, who started Tuesday’s game and put in a strong performance, stopping 24 of 26 shots.
Edmonton’s offense did the rest. Connor McDavid got the first scoring a power-play goal late in the first period. Then, he made it 2-0 with a penalty-shot goal in the second. Curtis Lazar and Kasperi Kapanen scored just 22 seconds apart to make it 4-0 before Ryan O’Reilly and Blankenburg brought Nashville back early in the third period.
Leon Draisaitl regained the four-goal lead midway through, and McDavid capped the 6-2 victory with his hat trick in the final minute.
The Oilers will aim to carry this momentum into Thursday’s matchup against the Winnipeg Jets.