Oilers Tristan Jarry May Be Finding His Footing

Sometimes a goaltender needs a little time to find his game. For Tristan Jarry, that process may finally be showing results. After a difficult season last year and an uneven start to this one, Jarry is looking more comfortable in the Edmonton Oilers' crease.

His latest performance was a good example. Jarry stopped all 18 shots he faced in Saturday's 4–0 shutout win over the New York Islanders. It was his first shutout of the season and his second consecutive victory. He has also gone three straight games without a regulation loss.

Those numbers are encouraging, but the timing may matter even more.

Jarry Is Giving Edmonton a Little More Confidence.

Jarry now has a 4-1-2 record, a 2.53 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage through seven appearances. Those numbers don't answer every question about a goaltender, but they're a welcome development for an Edmonton team that needs stability in net.

A shutout always looks good on the stat sheet. Jarry faced 18 shots against the Islanders, so this wasn't a night when he had to make 40 saves to keep his team in the game. Still, he did what a goaltender is supposed to do: he stopped everything that came his way and let his teammates play with a lead.

That's worth something. A team doesn't necessarily need its goaltender to steal every game. Sometimes it needs him to make the saves he should make and give the players in front of him confidence that one mistake won't automatically end up in the net.

The Oilers Need This Version of Jarry.

The circumstances make Jarry's recent improvement particularly useful. Devon Levi is on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, while Frederik Andersen remains on the injured non-roster list with a knee injury. That leaves Jarry with an opportunity to take on more responsibility.

There's a difference between being a goaltender who might help and becoming one a team can count on. Jarry is starting to move in that direction. It's too early to declare that everything has turned around. Seven games don't erase last season, and consistency will matter more than one shutout. But Edmonton doesn't need to solve every goaltending question today.

It needs Jarry to keep giving the team a chance to win. For a club that needs reliable goaltending, that's a big step. And for Jarry, finding his footing when the Oilers need him most could be an important step forward.