In his first-ever Stanley Cup Playoff start, Calvin Pickard led the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, evening the series at 2-2 on Tuesday night. The sold-out Rogers Place rallied behind him throughout the game, and he consistently made crucial saves despite heavy traffic in front of the net. Although two unfortunate goals slipped past Pickard due to traffic and deflections, he otherwise stood strong, stopping 19 out of 21 shots with a 0.905 SV%. Head Coach Kris Knoblauch faces a significant decision ahead of Game 5 in Vancouver on Thursday night – will the struggling Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard get the nod as the starter?
I believe that Calvin Pickard should start for the second game in a row on Thursday night. Stuart Skinner has been struggling, allowing an alarming 12 goals in just three games with a 0.793 save % in the series against Vancouver. Given these statistics, it seems to be a wise decision for Edmonton’s Head Coach, Kris Knoblauch, to give Pickard another opportunity to defend the net. Although Skinner has the potential to bounce back, I would opt to continue riding the hot streak with a goalie who recently secured his first NHL Playoff win and demonstrated a solid performance in Game 4. It’s also important to note that numerous backup goalies have effectively led their teams deep into later rounds in the playoffs, as exemplified by Adin Hill’s performance for the Vegas Golden Knights last year. While Knoblauch may consider using Skinner in subsequent games, it is my belief that Pickard should unquestionably start Game 5.
