The 28-year-old netminder has been full value so far in his return to an NHL crease, but Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said it’s been hard to strike a balance of giving Ingram opportunities while recognizing Calvin Pickard’s contributions in the past and how well he’s played under pressure for the Oilers when needed.
Ultimately, it’s been about rewarding Ingram for the wins he’s helped produce in recent games by giving him his third straight start on Saturday.
“He’s obviously playing really well, played well against Calgary the last game and continuing with him is a reward for getting the wins,” Knoblauch said.
“It’s tough changing that up,” he continued. “I know [Pickard’s] numbers don’t say that he’s playing well. Unfortunately, I think we’ve played some really bad hockey in front of him when he’s played, and it’s been the opposite of the previous two years, when we played some of our best hockey. When he’s been in that this year, it’s been a little bit different, and that’s shown in the type of chances we’re giving up, and it’s been really unfair for him.
“As for making that decision, it’s been difficult. Here’s a guy that has played well for us, has come up with some really big wins for us in the past, and we ultimately just wanted to see what Connor had in back-to-back games, because his first game was good and the second game didn’t get tested very much. But when needed, he came up with some big saves.”
