The Edmonton Oilers are changing it up as they look to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole against the Vancouver Canucks in their Western Conference second-round series at Rogers Place on Tuesday night. Head coach Kris Knoblauch will turn away from former Calder Trophy finalist Stuart Skinner in Game 4, instead trusting veteran Calvin Pickard between the pipes, he confirmed at the morning skate.
Skinner has started every game for the Oilers in Round 2, but he was pulled in a losing effort in Game 3 after allowing four goals on just 15 shots. He was replaced at the beginning of the third period by Pickard, who made three saves on three shots with most of the play at the other end in the final frame.
Still, Edmonton was not able to retain home-ice advantage on Sunday, instead losing 4-3 to Vancouver despite outshooting their divisional rivals 45-18. No one in that locker room wants to go back to British Columbia down 3-1, especially if it means the Canucks could book a place in the Western Conference Final in Game 5.
It'll be the first career Stanley Cup Playoff start for Pickard, who has appeared in just five total playoff games as a professional goaltender in 15 seasons since junior hockey, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.
“Like the man he will oppose on Tuesday night in Vancouver’s Arturs Silovs, Pickard entered this season as his team’s third goaltender behind Jack Campbell and Skinner,” wrote the hockey insider on Tuesday.
“Campbell was banished to AHL Bakersfield in early November after five shaky starts to the season that sunk the Oilers to the bottom of the standings. Campbell, in the second season of a five-year, $25 million deal, has since been recalled for the playoffs as the Oilers’ third/emergency goaltender.”
Pickard doesn't need to be perfect, but the Oilers third-stringer needs to provide something his team has not been getting in the second-round: competent goaltending.
At the other end of the rink — even without the services of Vezina Trophy finalist Thatcher Demko — that hasn't at all been a problem. And that's been the difference in the series so far.
Oilers need an answer for Arturs Silovs
Whereas Skinner has struggled mightily — he owns a .793 save percentage this series and is “statistically the worst playoff performer of any netminder in the salary cap era with at least 15 games played,” per Seravalli — the Canucks have gotten excellent netminding from Silovs.
The young Latvian shut out the Nashville Predators in Game 6 of Round 1, and has continued his solid play throughout this series. He's at 4-2 in the postseason with a .908 save percentage, and he's fresh off making 42 saves on 45 shots in Game 3's triumph.
He will be the go-to guy until Demko is ready to return, and even when that time comes, Silovs has made a solid case to remain between the pipes until he falters.
That hasn't happened yet, although it certainly has for Stuart Skinner. It's not a shock that Pickard will get an opportunity to start, and the bar is low after the goaltending Edmonton has gotten in the series.
It'll be two third-string tendies facing off with massive implications as the Oilers and Canucks contest a critical Game 4 at Rogers Place on Tuesday night.
Follow Us
Subscribe