Twelve seasons into his NHL tenure, Calvin Pickard is taking part in a few of the greatest video games of his profession.
The 33-year-old Edmonton Oilers goalie began the playoffs on the bench, backing up starter Stuart Skinner. However when Edmonton stumbled by means of two losses to open their best-of-seven sequence in opposition to the L.A. Kings, Pickard was elevated to the No. 1 job.
He went on to backstop the Oilers to 3 straight wins, together with a 3-1 victory in Recreation 5 on Tuesday.
“It feels good getting your identify referred to as early,” stated Pickard, who stopped 21 pictures as Edmonton improved to 3-2 within the first-round matchup.
“I simply wish to exit and do my job. I’ve been saying all of it 12 months. And taking part in behind our workforce, it’s a blessing for me. And I simply wish to preserve persevering with to do what I can do to assist the workforce win.”
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard speaks to reporters at Rogers Place on March 20, 2024.
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Pickard now has a 3-0 file with a .904 save proportion and a pair of.62 goals-against common this post-season.
The six-foot-one, 206-pound netminder from Moncton, N.B., additionally made 36 regular-season appearances, posting a 22-10-1 file with a .900 save proportion and a 2.71 goals-against common.
It was essentially the most video games he had performed for the reason that 2016-17 marketing campaign when Pickard was a member of the Colorado Avalanche, the workforce that chosen him within the second spherical of the 2010 draft.
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“He’s performed loads of hockey this 12 months. We’ve performed nicely in entrance of him,” stated Edmonton winger Zach Hyman.
“Picks is making each save he must make. As a participant, that offers you confidence that in the event you exit and do your job, the whole lot goes to work out.”
Skinner, 26, was the Oilers’ starter for a lot of the common season and put up a 26-18-4 file with a .896 save proportion, a 2.81 goals-against common and three shutouts.
He struggled early within the playoffs, although, giving up 11 objectives on 58 pictures throughout the primary two video games.
That is the second 12 months in a row Pickard has assumed the starter’s internet halfway by means of a post-season sequence.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch changed Skinner with Knoblauch for 2 video games throughout Edmonton’s second-round matchup in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks final 12 months, and Edmonton went on to win in seven video games.
The Oilers returned to Skinner later within the second spherical and caught with him as they powered by means of to the Stanley Cup remaining, in the end shedding to the Florida Panthers in a seven-game set.
“I simply assume we’ve been lucky. We’ve two good goalies, we really feel assured in both one,” Knoblauch stated. “And we will put both one within the internet and really feel like we will win that evening.”
For Pickard, the distinction this 12 months is timing.
As a substitute of going by means of the whole first spherical because the backup, the veteran netminder was pressed into motion simply 9 days after his final regular-season sport.
“In the direction of the top of the common season, I bought an honest quantity of video games to really feel prepared. Final 12 months, I used to be off for fairly some time earlier than I stepped in in opposition to Vancouver,” he stated. “However I felt able to go for Recreation 3.
“I do know I’ve simply bought to exit and do my job, and we’ve been taking part in nicely since I’ve been in there. It’s been good.”
Knoblauch has lengthy stated the Oilers will want each goalies for a protracted playoff run, and Pickard’s mindset means he’s at all times desperate to play.
“He’s a gamer. He’s prepared. He likes the strain,” the coach stated. “And loads of credit score to him as a result of there’s been lengthy stretches the place he has not performed and we’ve put him within the internet and stated ‘We’d like an enormous sport from you.’”
The Oilers can have an opportunity to shut out the sequence Thursday once they host the Kings for Recreation 6.
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