What Happened
The Edmonton Oilers activated emergency goaltender Brett Epp to serve as the backup for Thursday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks, according to Sportsnet. Matt Tomkins got the start in net because Tristan Jarry was unavailable due to illness. Tomkins made his season debut for Edmonton on Nov. 1 against the New York Rangers, turning aside 27 of 28 shots for a .964 save percentage.
Key Details
- Epp, an emergency goaltender, was activated and dressed as the backup against Anaheim.
- Tomkins started Thursday's game with Jarry sidelined by illness.
- Tomkins stopped 27 of 28 shots in his season debut against the Rangers on Nov. 1.
- Tomkins was recalled Oct. 23 after Devon Levi (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve.
What It Means
Edmonton is working without two goaltenders it had counted on, with Jarry ill and Levi on injured reserve as of late October. That has pushed Tomkins into a larger role and brought Epp, an emergency option, onto the bench for a regular-season game. Tomkins' .964 save percentage in his first appearance of the season is a small sample but gave the Oilers a strong outing at a thin position.
What's Next
No timeline has been reported for Jarry's return from illness or for Levi's recovery from the undisclosed injury that sent him to injured reserve. Tomkins and Epp remain the available options in the meantime.