
Iran footballers granted asylum in Australia vow to continue chasing sporting dream
Iranian footballers granted asylum in Australia pursue dreams
Connor Ingram delivered an impressive performance in goal for the Edmonton Oilers, but they lost 2-1 in a shootout against the Colorado Avalanche. Ingram's efforts were overshadowed by the shootout skills of Avalanche players Valeri Nichushkin, Martin Necas, and Nathan MacKinnon.
"You've got to find a save somewhere." That's what goaltender Connor Ingram said after a stellar performance on Monday night for the Edmonton Oilers, where he did everything but win the game.
Ingram was dialed in and kept the Oilers in the mix with the Presidents' Trophy winners in the Colorado Avalanche. He simply lost the skills competition they call the shootout -- and to three pretty good shooters in Valeri Nichushkin, Martin Necas, and Nathan MacKinnon.
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When asked about his game, Ingram said he feels pretty good. When asked about how he's reading the game and the plays, including those of his teammates:Ā "I'm not the guy for answers like that. I don't really know what I'm doing out there, just stop the puck."
Ingram is simple and concise when he speaksāmuch like his game in goal. Heās not flashy, and he doesnāt overmove. He stays in position and focuses on doing his job. His teammates have noticed that consistency, and they were disappointed they couldnāt find that extra goal for their netminderāone he absolutely deserved.
"I think heās just really coming into his own here," said defenseman Mattias Ekholm. He spoke about how solid Ingram has been for the Oilers, noting, "Obviously, coming into a situation where he didnāt really know anyone, just trying to do his thing, and now heās starting to get more comfortable. You can see it out thereāheās got more swagger. Iām really liking his game."
He added, "I think heās been our best player here for the last little bit. It sucks that we couldnāt pull out a win for him, but Iāve got nothing but praise for the way heās been playing lately."
"Pretty much since his time here, he's given us a lot of quality starts... The last week or two, I think he's even elevated his game," said head coach Kris Knoblauch. There's no doubt at this point that Knoblauch will ride Ingram into the playoffs and then as the starter.
Ingram was excellent for the Oilers, but lost in the shootout. Ā© Perry Nelson Imagn Images
It's the right decision.
Despite being frustrated and smashing his stick over the net after the shootout loss, Ingram deserves to be in goal.
Now, the Oilers just need to find him some run support. The team's overall defensive game has improved tremendously, but they weren't able to get that one elusive goal on Monday night.
āI think weāre working hard. I think weāre denying a lot of the Grade-A chances against, and obviously, weād like to create a little bit more offense and score some more goals. But yeah, it starts with good defense," said Ekholm. He added, "Weāve had a stretch now where Iāve liked the way weāve been playing on the defensive side of the puck, but again, weāve got to try to find the net as well. ...Youāve got to score more goals than them, and we didnāt tonight."
On an extended 5-on-3 that the Oilers failed to capitalize on, they could have used Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman. The team isn't making excuses. "Obviously, weāve got some guys out, but we have to deal with injuriesāthatās part of it," noted Ekholm.
"I think weāve got a strong lineup in here that can score goals, and itās just a matter of getting through a little bit of a slump these last two games. Again, as long as we take care of the defensive side, weāre still in games, and we have been in both of these."
Ingram has no issues with how his team is playing defensively in front of him. And, he's certainly not the type of teammate to throw anyone under the bus for not scoring. All that said, Ingram deserved a goal tonight from the Oilers. He made key stops, got a few friendly assists from his goal posts, and faced some elite shooters in the shootout. He clearly wasn't perfect, but he was pretty darn close.
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Connor Ingram had a stellar performance, keeping the Oilers competitive but ultimately losing in a shootout.
Valeri Nichushkin, Martin Necas, and Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche in the shootout.
The final score was 2-1 in favor of the Colorado Avalanche after a shootout.
Connor Ingram expressed disappointment, stating that the team needed to find a save somewhere to secure the win.

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