Connor Ingram’s scary moment with a concussion against the Colorado Avalanche has the Edmonton Oilers worried about their goalie and the push for the playoffs.
What started as a great win on Tuesday in Denver quickly turned into a situation to watch for goalie health. A single crash changed everything.
Near the end of the second period, Nathan MacKinnon went for the goal while Colorado had a power play. Darnell Nurse pushed him, causing MacKinnon to collide with Ingram right in front of the net.
Ingram fell hard and needed medical help immediately. He also had a noticeable cut on his forehead.
The officials looked at the play and decided to give MacKinnon a five-minute major penalty for interfering with the goalie. This also meant he got a game misconduct.
Colorado’s coach Jared Bednar was upset after the game. He argued that MacKinnon only made contact because of the shove from Nurse.
Edmonton’s main focus was on what really mattered—the goalie. Coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed that Ingram had to enter the concussion protocol and couldn’t return to the game.
“You have to look after your goalies. It wasn’t intentional, but you need to be cautious with them,” Knoblauch said. “Clearly, they lost an important player. ”
Tristan Jarry took over in goal for the rest of the game. He saved 11 out of 12 shots and helped Edmonton get a 4-3 victory.
The Oilers fans have been hoping for solid goaltending all season, so seeing Ingram walk off early gave me a sinking feeling.
Knoblauch mentioned that Ingram was “doing well,” but said that symptoms can change. Regardless, the concussion spotter decision meant he had to stay out, no matter how he felt right then.
“It was concussion protocol. He’s feeling good, but that can change, so he wasn’t allowed to come back just because of what the concussion spotter said. ”
That’s the tough part with these rules; it’s not about being strong. It’s to stop a bigger issue from happening a few days later.
Ingram is 28 years old and was picked in the third round of the draft in 2016 by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Recently, he has really helped the Edmonton team, with a record of 9 wins, 6 losses, and 1 overtime loss, along with a goals-against average of 2.78 and a save percentage of . 892.
With their recent victory, the Oilers have improved to a record of 32 wins, 25 losses, and 8 overtime losses. They will travel to Dallas on Thursday, and now the big question is who will start as the goalie. If Ingram is unable to play, the Oilers will rely on Jarry and will need to improve their defense quickly during five-on-five play. During times like this, one injury can really change how the whole season goes.
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