The Edmonton Oilers sit just four points out of a tie for first place in the Pacific Division, but they’re also only four points above the playoff cut line. With only 24 games remaining in the regular season, the margins are thin, and every point matters.

One of the biggest question marks down the stretch is in net. Since returning from his month-long injury, starter Tristan Jarry hasn’t looked as steady as he did before getting hurt. Connor Ingram showed he could handle the load while Jarry was out, though his play was up and down before the Olympic break, and Calvin Pickard is now in the AHL.

And it begs the question: between Ingram and Jarry, which netminder should get more starts moving forward? Before we dive into it, we’ll give a refresher on the Oilers’ goaltending saga leading up to the break, just in case it slipped anyone’s mind during the Olympics.

When the Oilers first acquired Jarry in December, he went a perfect 3-0 for the club that month, but in that third game against the Boston Bruins, he suffered a lower-body injury, sidelining him for close to a month. In those games, though, he posted an average of a .887 save percentage (SV%), which isn’t exactly dominant, but he got the job done and banked six out of six points for the team.

With Jarry on the injured reserve, the Oilers then recalled Ingram on Dec. 19, and he and Pickard handled the goaltending duties. In Jarry’s absence, Pickard went 2-2-0, posting a .902 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.07 goals-against average (GAA), while Ingram went 4-2-1 with a .903 SV% and recorded a 2.70 GAA in that span.

After missing nearly a month, Jarry returned to action on Jan. 13. In eight games since, he went 2-4-2, posting a .864 SV% with a 3.85 GAA. Pickard was the odd man out and didn’t get any starts, while Ingram went 3-3-0, recording a .885 SV% and a 2.64 GAA over that stretch.

Then there was the Oilers’ loss to the Calgary Flames before the Olympic break, which, as you might recall, got Leon Draisaitl fired up during the postgame interview.

The Oilers had lost their two previous games and were down 3-2 against the Flames. They came back to tie it, but just under three minutes later, the puck bounced toward Jarry, who kicked it onto Ryan Lomberg’s stick. Lomberg put it in the net for the eventual game-winner, and the Oilers fell 4-3, extending their losing streak to three games heading into the break.

After the game, Draisaitl didn’t hold back. He mentioned he could be better, alluded that players were lollygagging, and, when discussing his netminder Jarry, said, “We can make it easier on him, and I’m sure he can be a little bit better, too.” He didn’t sugarcoat his next words, adding, “I think there are saves our goalies need to make at some point.”

Jarry held himself accountable thereafter, saying, “I think I could play better. I think if I play better and stand in there strong for these guys, we’ll have better outcomes. I think it starts with me, and I just have to be better moving forward.”

Which leads us to now. Emotions have surely settled down during the Olympic break, and aside from the Olympians, the Oilers returned to practice on Feb. 17.

Jarry met with the media a couple of days later and was asked about the break, and what was more important, the physical reset or the mental reset. He answered, “Both.” He continued, “It benefits a lot of people. Just being able to rest the body, rest the mind. I think when you’re able to do that and come back recharged, spend some time with the family that you might not get to see on the road playing games all the time, it helps both.”

Jarry says the break was a good reset, but we all know words and actions don’t always line up and we’ll soon find out which is the case. Now, as far as the question goes, should Ingram or Jarry get the bulk of the starts moving forward? There are 24 games left, and given Edmonton’s position in the standings — four points out of a tie for first in the Pacific Division and four points above the playoff cut line — they don’t have much time to figure things out.

The first go-to should be to give Jarry the ever-so-slightly longer leash to start. Why? Because of the assets the Oilers gave up to acquire him — Stuart Skinner, veteran D-man Brett Kulak (who was just traded to the Colorado Avalanche for notable pieces), and a second-round pick — to be the starter, along with his $5.375 million price tag. Also, perhaps the Olympic break, in fact, was just what he needed, both physically and mentally.

The Oilers have back-to-back games in California coming up. Perhaps Jarry gets the first game against the Anaheim Ducks to help him settle into the mindset that he’s the number one guy, and also because he earned the win against them on Jan. 27 in a 7-4 victory, posting a .900 SV%. Then Ingram starts the second night of the back-to-back against the Los Angeles Kings, a team he faced on Jan. 10, when he also posted a .900 SV% in a 4-3 shootout loss.

But the method I’d apply after that, and what it ultimately boils down to, is simple — win, and you’re in. That’s it.

From there, whoever plays better (though Ingram might have a more tired team in front of him on the back-to-back) gets the nod in net for the game against the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 28. You repeat the process until it’s clear which netminder will grab the reins and run with it and that’s the goaltender who plays the majority of the games. Also, I feel that this approach will help increase competition in the crease and keep both of them hungry.

That said, if you were to ask my gut feeling about who might end up with the bulk of the minutes in the crease down the stretch, I’d go with Ingram — maybe just because I have a preference for his style. He’s calm and sound in net when he’s feeling it, which I feel resonates throughout the team. If he can regain the form that saw him post a .903 SV% and 2.70 GAA when Jarry was out with an injury, the Oilers will be banking points in the win column more often than not.

And if all else fails, there’s a bit of a wild card in the mix. The team put Pickard on waivers on Feb. 1, and when he cleared, they assigned him to the Bakersfield Condors, where he is currently.

That said, during the Olympic break, Pickard’s agent, Ritch Winter, was on the Jason Gregor Show on Feb. 11, overall alluding that, despite his client being in the AHL, there’s still a shot he could be recalled, having said:

If Jarry or Ingram struggle in net, there’s a hungry netminder in Pickard playing in the minors, and I wouldn’t count him out of the fold either. He’s proven he’s as resilient as they come, having been a Bill Masterton Trophy nominee, is by all accounts a great locker-room glue guy, has posted eight playoff wins over the last two seasons, and is likely very eager to get back to the NHL.

Overall, the Oilers aren’t in an ideal spot, being 58 games into the season and still sorting out their netminder situation. Moving forward, it’s simple: win, and you’re in. Whichever netminder — Ingram or Jarry — wins, or plays better, gets more of the starts, and don’t count out Pickard either. Unfortunately, the Oilers haven’t put together any long winning streaks this season to give themselves a bit of a cushion, and with just 24 games left, there’s very little time to waste.