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EDMONTON – While it’s a small sample size, Connor Ingram’s first career playoff victory boded well for the Edmonton Oilers.
The 30-year-old goalie from Saskatoon was clutch when he needed to be in Edmonton’s 4-3 see-saw win over the visiting Anaheim Ducks to open their first-round NHL playoff series.
Ingram was light on playoff experience heading into Monday’s game with just three post-season losses with the Nashville Predators in 2022.
“Took me four tries, but I’ll take it. It means a lot,” Ingram said after a 25-save performance.
He became the third goaltender to earn a win in his first post-season appearance with Edmonton after Jack Campbell in 2023 and Andy Moog in 1981.
“It’s been a while. I was kind of anxious to get it going,” Ingram said. “It’s a late game, we’re here early. You just kind of sit around waiting for it to start. It’s kind of like ‘let’s hurry up and do this.’”
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Ingram seemed an unlikely candidate to be Edmonton’s playoff starter when acquired from the Utah Mammoth for future considerations in October. The Mammoth had told him not to report to training camp.
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The Oilers still had in the fold longtime starter Stuart Skinner, who was eventually dealt in December to Pittsburgh in a package deal that brought goaltender Tristan Jarry to Edmonton.
But Ingram’s 6-4-2 record over Edmonton’s last 15 games of the regular season solidified a chance to start the playoffs in the Oilers’ net.
For a man who got the bulk of his career starts in the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena when he played for the Arizona Coyotes, the roar of Rogers Place playoff hockey was a new sensation for him.
“To walk out that tunnel today, it’s a different animal,” Ingram said. “It’s loud in there. It was fun.
“After the anthem, one thing I always do is just kind of smile and take it all in. That was one today where I was like ‘this is cool.’”
After Ingram denied Beckett Sennecke on his doorstep, the Oilers scored an equalizer on their next trip down the ice in Monday’s third period.
Ingram repelled Leo Carlsson from close range later in the period. Ingram was out of position, but got his pad on a Mikael Granlund attempt in a last-second scramble.
“He gave us a chance, so he was big,” said Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.
Edmonton squandered a 2-0 lead after one period when the Ducks scored three unanswered goals.
Asked how he felt his teammates played in front of him in the game, Ingram replied, “I know my role. I’m staying within the blue paint. Ask somebody else those questions.”
Ingram has been open about his obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and mental health struggles.
Edmonton’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which goes to the player who “best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey” has spent time in the league’s player assistance program.
“His personality, his demeanour, is just pretty roll the punches,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. “He’s enjoying his time here, feels confident playing in front of the team.
“I know the players appreciate what he’s bringing. He’s just a guy who’s enjoying playing hockey. I know he’s had some rough stretches in the past, but I think he’s in a really good spot right now.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
