New Oilers goalie Tristan Jarry earned a win, witnessing McDavid and Draisaitl dominate in a thrilling debut against the Maple Leafs.
Tristan Jarry’s first night with the Edmonton Oilers couldn’t have gone much better. While the statistics in his debut weren't technically much better than the goaltender he replaced, Stuart Skinner, that wasn't necessarily the most important thing. Picking up a win as the new starter and goalie in this window was the goal.
And Jarry did just that.
With a solid performance and on the back of outstanding play from the Oilers' stars, namely Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Jarry's debut was a successful one.
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Thrust into the lineup less than 24 hours after being traded for, Jarry delivered a calm, confident performance in a 6-3 dismantling of the Toronto Maple Leafs, while getting a front row seat to the McDavid show.
Saying before the game he was going to embrace the challenge of the pressure that came with this new gig, “It’s obviously special and something I’ll always remember,” Jarry said after picking up his first win with Edmonton. “It’s a lot of emotions.”
Jarry turned aside 25 of 28 shots, finishing with a positive 1.06 goals saved above expected. The numbers were solid, but the timing of his saves mattered more. Early on, when Toronto pushed, and the game was still there to be taken, Jarry held the line. His big save came on a break by John Tavares, which was arguably the turning point.
“You’re happy you’re on the right side of it,” he said. “I’ve been on the wrong side of that a lot.”
Once Jarry steadied things early -- he was a bit iffy on a couple of rebounds, and had a minor scare when he took a shot in the collarbone -- he looked like he was right at home. It helped that Edmonton’s elite did what they do best. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combined for six points, with McDavid potting a highlight reel goal in the first.
Draisaitl sitting one point shy of 1,000 for his career.
Watching McDavid and Draisaitl in action, “Standing on the other side of it for a lot of years, you kind of know what to expect,” Jarry said. “But being on the right side of it, you appreciate it a lot.”
Vasily Podkolzin also remained hot, scoring two goals for Edmonton.
Jarry Gets a Chance To Settle In on Sunday
Jarry joining the Oilers happened at about the same speed as McDavid blew by the Maple Leafs' defenders on the first goal of the game. Jarry had just been dealt from Pittsburgh on Friday morning, had no choice but to wear his Penguins mask Saturday night, and had brand-new Oilers-coloured Vaughn pads delivered from the factory with only a morning skate to break them in.
On Sunday, as the Oilers take on the Montreal Canadiens, Jarry will get a chance to sit as Calvin Pickard is pegged to take the net.
It will be a good moment for Jarry to take it all in.
“You never really think this would happen, and you’re shocked when it does,” Jarry said of the trade. He added, “There’ll be some adjustment time. But it’ll be nice to lay down tonight and just reflect.”
For now, the Oilers will happily take the result as they're on a bit of a roll and started their new road trip off with a win. For both the Oilers and Jarry, this game might be a momentum builder. It's precisely what the team needs with the significant changes that seemingly came out of nowhere.
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