Pickard might be the Edmonton Oilers’ ideal backup goalkeeper.
Instead, the William Riker to their Captain Jean-Luc would be preferable. You get the idea, I guess.
Calvin Pickard may not have been the Edmonton Oilers’ ideal backup goalkeeper, depending on how you want to look at it.
However, he’s playing out to be the ideal backup for the Edmonton Oilers when paired with their best goalie in what is quickly becoming a historic season.
Although Pickard hasn’t exactly been hiding in the shadows, Stuart Skinner may find himself squarely in the spotlight of a dominant team that has won 17 of its previous 18.
Pickard wasn’t greeted with much fanfare when he arrived in town. He was plucked from the Bakersfield farm—because, let’s be honest, there wasn’t any veteran option after Jack Campbell proved to be all broth and no bones as the Oilers spilled their ingredients to start the season.
When he arrived at Rogers Place on November 8th, his nonexistent limo was not greeted with a red carpet.
The media wasn’t surrounding the 31-year-old’s locker because, as you may recall, the Oilers were one loss away from having their coach fired and the sky may as well have been falling around them.
Besides, at that point, what could the guy possibly do to make a difference?
It turns out that he can respond to any and all questions posed to him.
Pickard wasn’t just occupying space; he consistently stood in for Skinner during games, including four that preserved Edmonton’s record-breaking run of 16 straight victories (6-3 against the New Jersey Devils, 7-2 against the Anaheim Ducks, 3-2 in overtime against the Detroit Red Wings, and a 3-0 shutout of the Chicago Blackhawks).
And on Friday, he made 24 stops in the Oilers’ 5-3 comeback victory over the Ducks at Honda Center to put them back on the winning track after their earlier-in-the-week attempt to tie the NHL record of 17 straight wins had failed.
While Edmonton’s winning run is over, Pickard’s is still going strong, as he has won six of his previous seven games, and his last five starts go all the way back to December 21, the first of his 16 victories.
“They came out hot and we weren’t ready to play our best at the beginning,” head coach Chris Knoblauch said to the media after the game. “I felt they played pretty well and with a lot of focus.
We improved as the game went on, and the second quarter was undoubtedly our best, but we still struggled under pressure and had some lapses. Picks made some tremendous saves, particularly in the opening frame. Thus, we’re rather pleased with him. That is how well he has performed in this building a few times.
Granted, the Ducks may not be the most formidable opponents, but it would be premature to write off Pickard’s most recent performance. After three consecutive goals, Anaheim led 2-1 at the halfway point of the second period and 3-1 at 3:20 in the third, but the Oilers mounted one of their signature comebacks in the third period.
Even though Evander Kane eventually scored into an empty net to record his 10th career hat trick, Pickard and Edmonton’s defense needed to put in just as much work to keep their team from losing consecutive games for the first time since December 19.
Matthew Ekholm, a defenseman with the Oilers, stated, “It was obviously in risk.” “I believe he performed pretty well the entire game, and he really stood on his head in the first.
“Well done on him.” Since being called up, he has, in my opinion, been amazing, and he performs his duties flawlessly. Thus, we are aware of his capability.
For the first time in the previous nine games, Skinner took the bench, while Pickard, who now stands at 6-2 with a 2.42 goals-against average and a.912 save percentage, made his eighth start of the year. His career average of 2.99 goals against and a.904 save percentage was surpassed by both of those.
In contrast, Skinner has a record of 23-10-1, a goals-against average of 2.43, and a save percentage of.910.
Naturally, the key question is: will Pickard be as competitive at the end of the season when there are fewer opportunities to match him with opponents who have been handpicked when Skinner needs a night off?
