Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard has relied on an unlikely person for support during what’s been a whirlwind past few days.
Stuart Skinner, the netminder Pickard replaced to become the Oilers starter, has been a staunch supporter.
“He’s been awesome,” said Pickard about Skinner today in Vancouver. “He’s an outstanding goalie but an even better guy.”
“He had a couple tough breaks in this series so far but he’s my number one supporter right now and he was definitely happy for me the other night. That support is always there.”
The other night that Pickard is referencing is Tuesday when the 32-year-old won his first career NHL playoff start.
Skinner began this series as the Oilers starter but was replaced by Pickard in Game 3 after allowing 12 goals in less than three full games. Pickard played most of the third period and stopped the few shots he faced.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch decided to switch things up and gave Pickard the net for Game 4. The veteran responded with 19 saves and the victory as the Oilers tied the series at two.
The aftermath of that win made it clear that Skinner is not the only one who is a huge Pickard fan. Multiple other teammates had nothing but good things to say.
“Super proud of him, not an easy thing to do,” said Leon Draisaitl about the goalie’s big win.
Defenceman Evan Bouchard and Pickard even shared this adorable moment postgame.
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 15, 2024
Pickard will be getting the nod again tonight for Game 5. This will be the first time all year where he starts back-to-back games.
“I thought he looked really comfortable the other day. He made some solid saves, played the puck really well,” said Knoblauch this morning about his new starter. “He made all the right decisions and made some big saves for us.”
The Oilers split the first two road games in this series and will be looking to pull out another victory. If they can do so, they will be just one win away from reaching the Western Conference finals.