Five days. That’s all the time that separated Tristan Jarry from his life as a Pittsburgh Penguin and his sudden return to PPG Paints Arena, this time wearing the blue and orange of the Edmonton Oilers.

On Tuesday night, hockey fans witnessed NHL history—the first time two goaltenders traded for one another faced off within a week of the deal. While the 6-4 scoreboard suggests a barnburner, the real story wasn’t just the goals; it was the man in the visitor’s crease.

For the Edmonton Oilers, a team with Stanley Cup aspirations but persistent questions in net, the most encouraging stat of the night wasn’t the save percentage. It was the undeniable composure of Tristan Jarry in a situation designed to rattle him.

A Return Unlike Any Other

Returning less than a week after being dealt—while your replacement is standing in the other net—is a different beast entirely. Tristan Jarry spent parts of ten seasons in the Penguins organization. This was home.

The night began with the inevitable weirdness. Jarry, still scrambling to get his gear painted, wore blue pads with his old Penguins mask. Across the ice, Stuart Skinner looked just as disjointed in white and gold pads topped with an Oilers bucket.

During the first TV timeout, the Penguins played a tribute video. The crowd, which had mixed feelings about Tristan Jarry toward the end of his tenure, gave him a warm reception. He tapped his chest, waved his stick, and acknowledged the people who watched him grow from a prospect to a two-time All-Star.

Battling Through a Defensive Lapse

If Tristan Jarry was hoping for a quiet night to settle into his new crease, he didn’t get it. The game was a track meet, typical of Oilers hockey when the offense is clicking but the defensive structure loosens.

Jarry faced 30 shots, turning aside 26 of them. While four goals against isn’t a stat line that screams “dominance” in a vacuum, context is king here. The Oilers, surging with offensive adrenaline thanks to Leon Draisaitl’s 1,000th career point and Connor McDavid’s four-point night,

There were moments where Jarry had to be sharp. Early in the game, he made a vital save on Anthony Mantha, shutting down a dangerous backhand attempt on a partial breakaway. He battled through traffic and tracked pucks well despite the chaos in front of him. When the Penguins pushed late, making the score look closer than the play dictated, Jarry stayed square to the shooter and minimized rebounds.

“I think that last one, we probably want back for him, just for the stat line,” Draisaitl admitted post-game, acknowledging that the team hung him out to dry in the third period.

The Mental Toughness Edmonton Needs

The Oilers didn’t trade for Tristan Jarry just to get a guy who can stop pucks; they needed someone who could stop the bleeding when things go wrong. Edmonton’s goaltending woes have often been compounded by a fragility in net—when one bad goal goes in, the wheels tend to fall off.

Tuesday night was a stress test. Jarry faced his former teammates, a crowd chanting his opponent’s name (“Stu!”), and a loose defensive performance in front of him. A lesser mental performance would have seen him crumble after the second or third goal. Instead, he simply reset.