There is nothing like getting a head start on a new year’s resolution.

And for Connor Ingram, looking ahead means getting back to the way things used to be for the embattled veteran of five NHL seasons.

They haven’t all been spent in the NHL, of course. After being acquired from the Utah Mammoth for future considerations Oct. 1, the 28-year-old headed directly to Edmonton’s American Hockey League affiliate Bakersfield Condors.

While there, he looked anything but ready to make a march back to the NHL, going a pedestrian 4-5-2 with a 4.04 goals-against average and .856 save percentage.

But following the trade of Stuart Skinner and subsequent injury to replacement Tristan Jarry, Ingram suddenly found himself back on familiar NHL ice where all he’s done is breath some life into the Oilers crease and some hope into the fan base.

And Oilers fans who have been through nothing but growing pains in the crease for longer than they’d care to remember know better than to question how it’s even possible for a goalie to struggle in the AHL, yet shine in the big league.

“His game might be better suited for the NHL,” said Condors head coach Colin Chaulk. “He’s calm. Kelly Guard (Condors goalie coach) and I talked about that as well before the recall.”

In short, while the AHL game is a little more wild and unpredictable, NHL-calibre shots come a little more by the book.

“He’s a first-save guy, rebounds are pretty controllable. He’s not making the big acrobatic saves, that’s not his style,” Chaulk said.

“The NHL game is a little bit cleaner. the American league is a little bit more chaotic, there are more mistakes. That’s where I would say he’s used to that style.

“The NHL game is slow sometimes, and really clean. They go through a lot of set breakouts, when one team’s changing the other will change. And then it’s super-fast, much faster than the American league. And it speeds up, really, so the rhythm of the game ebbs and flows.”

Prior to entering the crease for his Oilers debut Dec. 21, his last NHL game was played on Feb. 22, before entering the NHL’s player assistance program to deal with the effects of obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.

“I’m happy for Connor. Everybody’s journey is different,” Chaulk said.

“He’s definitely a goaltender that can play in the NHL, and at times I think he’s been really good for us, and at times he’d like to have a few back. Just like myself, as a coach, I’d like to have a few decisions back.

“But he’s been a great teammate, a great person, he’s worked extremely hard, his attitude has been awesome and he’s excited for the opportunity there in Edmonton. And so are we.”

Chaulk & Co. have watched Ingram hold down the fort in a 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights and 5-1 over the Calgary Flames, before falling, 3-2, Saturday in Calgary.

After three consecutive starts, Ingram’s goals-against average of 2.35 and save percentage of .915 are, so far, noticeably better than anyone else who’s manned the Oilers crease this season.

Ingram’s callup led to some musical chairs to find Matt Tomkins a partner in the Bakersfield crease. The Oilers ended up reassigning another Conner in his place — Connor Ungar, from the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears.

“Ungar got the call, and he played the last game against Coachella Valley, and he was exceptional,” Chaulk said of a 35-save performance in 3-2 win over the Firebirds prior to the Christmas break.

“It’s good to see you have some guys waiting in the chamber. He was someone that was dialing, and management wanted to take a look at Connor, and he had a great game.”

In 11 ECHL games this season with the Solar Bears, Fort Wayne Komets and Greensboro Gargoyles, the 23-year-old native of Calgary went 5-1-3 with a league-leading 1.54 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage.

“He’s been on a few different teams, and that grind that he’s had to go through,” Chaulk said.

Boasting a save percentage in the .940s is a rarity within the Oilers organization this season. Or even the .900s, for that matter.

And not just in Edmonton this year, either. It could very well be a sign of the times, as much as anything.

“The game is not going to get more defensive, that’s for sure,” Chaulk said. “In my opinion, over the next 10 years, we’re not going to see 1-3-1 (formations) and how we’re going to clog things up and be the next New Jersey Devils or Guy Boucher Tampa Bay Lightning. I don’t see that.

“That’s my projection, I don’t know. With all the players coming through, they’re young, they’re dynamic, they’re skilled. You have to teach them to defend. The game, I think is evolving offensively. The goaltenders, they’ll have to continue to evolve, as well.”

E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com

On X: @StarkRavinMod

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