Mike Babcock joked that the Edmonton Oilers finally didn't give up a touchdown Saturday night, and Devon Levi was a big reason why.
Before a single question came after the 3-1 win over Seattle, Babcock poked fun at his team's defense, according to HockeyFeed.
The Oilers had allowed six goals in the opener and seven in the second game, so the football reference landed.
Good on him. Joking about it beats pretending it never happened, and a room that leaky needed someone to break the tension.
It's the dad who finally parks the car without scraping the garage and announces it to the whole family.
Why go back to Levi after that debut? "I just thought he seems like a confident kid," Babcock said.
"I think your first game with a new organization sometimes things don't go as well, you get in your own way," he added.
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Mike Babcock opens Oilers interview with a blunt joke after Devon Levi's bounce-back win
Levi stopped 19 of 20 shots for a .950 save percentage.
Tristan Jarry finished the opener at .739, and Levi was at .682 in his first start.
The 24-year-old carries an $812,500 cap hit and has now won both of his starts for Edmonton.
Jarry carries a $5,375,000 cap hit, which only makes the crease decision more interesting.
Connor McDavid scored and added an assist, with Leon Draisaitl and Owen Michaels also finding the net.
The Oilers are now 2-0-1, and Babcock has another crease decision to make before Wednesday in Anaheim.
Frederik Andersen is out until at least December, per The Hockey Writers, so the job belongs to Levi and Jarry for now.
Babcock had already taken the blame for the early goals against, answering "Coaching" when asked who was responsible.
Saturday's win also featured Colton Dach's no-call check from behind on Vince Dunn and a Trent Frederic bout with Ryan Lindgren.
One quiet night doesn't fix the crease. But if Levi strings a few of these together, Babcock's next joke might be about how boring the goaltending has become.
Should Devon Levi be the Oilers' starting goalie from now on?
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