The Edmonton Oilers have a long-standing habit of making their goaltenders look far less capable than they actually are. In many ways, that reality may help explain why Stuart Skinner is no longer the team’s starter — a fact underscored Tuesday night when he found himself at the opposite end of the ice against Edmonton as the Oilers faced the Pittsburgh Penguins.

And just two games into his tenure as Edmonton’s new No. 1, the same issue surfaced again. The Oilers once more failed to deliver a full 60-minute effort in front of Tristan Jarry, putting their latest goaltender in an all-too-familiar position.

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When it came to Jarry's night and the goalie situation, there are habits the Oilers have to shake from their game, and mailing it in when the outcome seems secure is one of them. McDavid said, "I thought both goalies handled themselves well. Unique situation, probably a strange night for both guys, and I thought they handled themselves just fine." He added, "Jarry's obviously stood in there and made some big saves for us. I wish we shut it down for him better than that; we shouldn't have given up four."

"I think that last one, we probably want back for him, just for the stat line," said Leon Draisaitl. 

At the end of the day, Jarry won't cause a stink. And, overall, the result went the way the Oilers wanted and needed it to. They got the two points and picked up another road win. "I'm happy we came in and won a game for Jars", said McDavid.

Draisaitl Reaches 1000 Points

There were several key storylines of note heading into the game. In all cases, Edmonton came out on top. The Oilers stopped Sidney Crosby from reaching Mario Lemieux's milestone. Leon Draisaitl got points 1000, 1001, 1002, and 1003. McDavid took the scoring lead in the NHL. Jarry got the win.

Complaining about the way the Oilers defended in front of Jarry is akin to an old man yelling at the clouds. 

Where it mattered, the Oilers succeeded. 

When it came to Draisaitl's 1000th point, McDavid noted, "Just a special player, can't say enough good things. I mean, he does it each and every year, both sides of the rink. Really really special, and a special accomplishment..  I can't say enough good things." He noted that Draisaitl has so much of his prime ahead of him, which makes the milestone all the more impressive. 

McDavid and Draisaitl got four points each. McDavid has 20 points in his last seven games and is now tops in the league, one point ahead of Nathan MacKinnon. 

A Rough Night For Stuart Skinner

Skinner, who didn't look sharp, let in five goals on 22 shots. It was another rough night, with the Oilers scoring in bunches. Sadly, he had to be on the receiving end of Draisaitl's 1000th point and the bench-clearing celebration that happened right beside him.

The Penguins' defense didn't help Skinner's outing. There were too many Grade-A chances against, and three of the Oilers' six goals were on the power play.  McDavid said after the game that "Both of those guys were key parts of this group for a number of years... it was difficult to see them on the other side."

McDavid gave Skinner a stick tap during the game, knowing it likely wasn't a fun experience for his former teammate. "It's emotional..." as he talked about how Skinner and Kulak both have young families and he's moving around the holidays. He said the same thing of Jarry, who is also going through big changes as he moves teams. 

Jarry Did What He Needed To For the Oilers

On the other end of the ice, Tristan Jarry got his second win for the Oilers in as many starts. He played a solid game, but the Oilers hung him out to dry at the end of the third period, effectively ruining his stat line.

He made 26 saves, but allows four. His night ended with a .867 save percentage. 

This wasn't a tight defensive effort on either side, but the Oilers managed to win the special teams battle and outscore their coverage gaffes. Edmonton allowed too many goals that just didn't need to happen. 

Edmonton will continue their road trip aganist the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Jarry will likely get another start and the Oilers will want to show up and show him they've got his back. 

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