Head coach Kris Knoblauch praises Connor Ingram despite Edmonton Oilers' recent loss

The Edmonton Oilers entered last night as the clear favorites, but the NY Islanders surprised, as they defeated the home team 1-0. But head coach Kris Knoblauch wasn’t too stressed about the loss, and he was all praise for former AHL goalie Connor Ingram.

Ingram stopped 17 shots in the defeat, turning in another solid performance even though he was outdueled by Ilya Sorokin, who made 35 saves for his NHL-leading fifth shutout of the season. The Oilers dominated possession and generated quality chances throughout the night, outshooting the Islanders by nearly a two-to-one margin.

Oilers' head coach believes Connor Ingram’s AHL experience is helping Edmonton

"I feel like the team did everything but score tonight," Knoblauch said. "I'm pleased with our team's effort and execution. Ingram played really well and made some big saves, especially early in the game. We had a lot of good scoring chances five-on-five, on the power play, and six-on-five. We did pretty much everything but put the puck in the net."

When asked about Ingram's ability to come up from Bakersfield and deliver quality starts, Knoblauch explained why some goaltenders find more success at the NHL level than in the minors. "Very impressive. Down in Bakersfield, he wasn't playing his best," Knoblauch said.

"He comes here, and the game's a lot easier for some players to play, whether they're forwards, defensemen, or especially goaltenders. The NHL is easier, ironically for goaltenders, simply because there's a lot more structure and predictability,” Knoblauch said.

The head coach believes that this makes the position a lot easier for a goaltender, and Ingram has so far been doing great for the Oilers. Ingram has now made seven starts for Edmonton since his recall, establishing himself as a reliable option in the crease.

Knoblauch noted that the goaltender's last two performances have been particularly impressive despite the loss. "That's seven pretty solid starts from him, and tonight, his last two were probably his best," Knoblauch said. "I'm pleased with him."

The loss dropped the Oilers to 23-17-8 on the season and ended Connor McDavid's career-high 20-game point streak. Anthony Duclair scored the game's only goal on the power play with 6:18 remaining in the third period after Leon Draisaitl took a tripping penalty.

Despite the disappointing outcome, Knoblauch's focus remained on the positives. His team controlled play, generated chances, and received strong goaltending. On most nights, that formula produces victories. Thursday simply wasn't one of those nights.

Also Reach: Connor McDavid passes Wayne Gretzky to become Edmonton Oilers' record holder for most 50-assist seasons in franchise history


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