Is The Oilers' Goaltending Just Cursed?
· Yahoo Sports
Everyone knows by now that the Edmonton Oilers can't seem to keep their goaltenders healthy.
Edmonton entered training camp with three goaltenders, and just 10 games into the season, two were injured, forcing the Oilers to use four different goaltenders and dress an emergency backup.
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At least things are starting to improve.
Devon Levi returned from a groin injury on Saturday, Tristan Jarry is healthy after missing Thursday's game against Anaheim with an illness, and Frederik Andersen remains sidelined with an injury he suffered during the offseason.
The Oilers had some decisions to make about their goaltending heading into October, and injuries have taken care of most of them.
Levi won six of his first seven starts before suffering a groin injury against Carolina on Oct. 22. He apparently felt something wrong during the third period, though it was of little concern to him at the time.
“I wasn't going to get out of that game unless I was dead,” Levi said.
Probably not what the medical staff wanted to hear.
Levi missed seven games, leaving Jarry responsible for most of Edmonton's starts. The 31-year-old recorded consecutive shutouts against Calgary and the New York Islanders, as well as some pretty reliable goaltending during their road trip through New York.
“With Dev hurt, I knew I'd get a little bit more work,” Jarry said following the Islanders game. “So just being able to take care of that opportunity and kind of just run with it… It's been fun, to say the least.”
Edmonton Goes 2-0 vs Vancouver: Oilers and Elks Both Pick Up WinsMcDavid’s historic pace and a stellar return for Devon Levi fueled an Oilers victory, while the Elks punched their ticket to the Grey Cup on a golden night.Matt Tomkins also got an opportunity to play, making 27 saves in Edmonton's 4-1 win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The 32-year-old Edmonton native entered that game with just six NHL starts and no league appearances since April 2024.
Then Jarry got sick.
Edmonton dressed Tomkins and emergency backup goaltender Brett Epp against Anaheim on Thursday night, since Andersen and Levi were still unavailable.
Having an emergency backup sitting on the bench in November probably wasn't something Stan Bowman expected when he put together this roster.
Fortunately, Levi returned on Saturday night against Vancouver, stopping 20 shots in Edmonton's 4-2 win. Jarry was healthy enough to serve as his backup, and Tomkins was reassigned to Bakersfield.
“It was a tight game,” Levi said afterward. “I love playing those games, going into the third period (tied) 1-1, knowing that I’m probably going to have to come up with one or two (big saves). Love it, man. So it was a fun game.”
Oilers Waive Highly-Touted Blue Line ProspectFinnish standout Atro Leppanen heads to the AHL after an injury-stalled preseason, positioning the record-setting offensive defenseman for a potential NHL debut later this hockey season.“He's got all the characteristics of a gamer,” Jason Dickinson said. “He fights hard, he battles hard, he's been itching to get back. It's definitely good for us to have him.”
Edmonton now has two healthy goaltenders who have been playing well, and Andersen's eventual return will give the organization more hope.
Jarry has earned more opportunities with his recent performances, Levi has won seven of eight games, and Andersen was originally expected to be the starter.
The Oilers are 12-3-3 through 18 games, and their goaltending has been reasonably reliable despite everything that's happened, but four goaltenders and an emergency backup before 20 games is getting a little ridiculous.
Maybe somebody really should check for a curse.
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