The Art of Goaltending: Calvin Pickard and His Path to the Stanley Cup Final
Being a starting goaltender in the NHL is an art. So is being a successful backup. It requires embracing the unknown, preparing to play without actually playing. Long periods without touching the puck, but with the expectation of performing at your best at any moment. That pressure isn’t for everyone. But Calvin Pickard, goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers, isn’t just anyone. He has forged a career excelling in secondary roles, the classic worker who exemplifies ethics and a straightforward mentality. One day at a time, one game after another. And although it’s not easy, Pickard makes it seem that way.Pickard has helped save Edmonton from significant deficits this NHL postseason, not once, but twice. He could be on his way to keeping the Oilers alive in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. His most recent efforts showed a goalie at his best. Pickard entered the final as Edmonton’s number 2, behind Stuart Skinner. He watched as the Oilers split the first two games of the series, and then entered troubled waters. Skinner started again in Game 3, and Florida outscored Edmonton 6-1. Coach Kris Knoblauch replaced Skinner with Pickard at the end of that debacle. Edmonton entered Game 4 with a 2-1 series deficit, with an undeniable scent of fragility. Knoblauch went over Pickard so that Skinner would be their starter. The result was disastrous. Skinner conceded three goals on 14 shots in the first period, for a save percentage of .824. Edmonton limped off the ice losing 3-0 and Knoblauch had to do something. Pickard entered. The 33-year-old player took charge of Edmonton’s goal and backed them in a surprising comeback as the Oilers scored three goals in the second period to tie 3-3 heading into the third. Pickard was excellent in containing the Panthers’ attack with tough and critical saves that gave the Oilers the opportunity to offer some goal-scoring support at the other end. Edmonton’s eventual 5-4 overtime victory would not have been possible without Pickard’s 22 saves.“I think he’s one of the few goalies,” said Evander Kane, Oilers forward. “He’s a normal guy. He’s very popular in the locker room.”
Evander Kane
When the series returned to Edmonton tied 2-2 heading into Game 5, Pickard would have had at least 24 hours’ notice of his next playing time. The fact that it was happening in the Stanley Cup Final might have affected other goalies who hadn’t started a full game in five weeks. But then again, Pickard isn’t a typical backup. He’s built differently.
The game itself didn’t go as planned for Edmonton. The Oilers fell behind early, again, and this time no amount of amazing saves from Pickard (including a massive one against Carter Verhaeghe in the first period) could save Edmonton from itself in a 5-2 loss. Pickard’s stat line was weak, conceding four goals on 18 shots for a .778 save percentage, but Knoblauch wasn’t convinced he was the problem. Knoblauch also didn’t commit to him for Game 6.“I guess you could consider [Game 5] the most important game of my life, but the last game was the most important game of my life until the next one,” Pickard said. “It’s rinse and repeat for me. It’s been a great journey; I’ve been in a lot of good places. Grateful to have had the opportunity to come to Edmonton a couple of years ago, and this is what you play for. I’m excited.”
Calvin Pickard
It was Pickard’s first postseason loss, a testament to his work. Not long ago, he was in control of the Oilers’ net. A stronger team effort in front of Pickard could make him shine there again on Tuesday; Edmonton has been outscored 15-8 in its last three games, a frustrating reality given the depth of offensive talent and defensive capabilities of the Oilers.“I’m not going to make that decision now after a tough loss tonight,” the coach said after Game 5. “But from what I saw, I think Picks didn’t have much of a chance on all those goals. Breakaways, shots through screens, shots to the area. There was nothing that said it was a bad performance.”
Kris Knoblauch
The Oilers were in a bad situation midway through the first round. They had entered the playoffs among the Cup favorites after reaching the final a year ago, falling there in Game 7 to the same franchise they are battling now. The Oilers rebounded in a strong regular season, finishing third in the Pacific Division with 101 points. It was concerning then that they started the postseason with a stumble, falling behind 2-0 in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. Skinner was Edmonton’s starter at the time, and he had conceded 11 goals in those two losses. Pickard had seen (almost) everything from the bench, save for a brief appearance at the end of Game 2. Knoblauch turned to Pickard to start in Game 3. And then, another comeback. Pickard helped the Oilers achieve four consecutive victories to defeat the Kings and send Edmonton to the second round. He achieved another pair of victories against the Vegas Golden Knights to give Edmonton a 2-0 series lead, only to suffer a lower-body injury in Game 2 that would cut short his magical postseason run at 6-0-0 with a .892% save percentage and 2.76 goals against. Edmonton turned again to Skinner, who responded with a sensational run of his own that carried the Oilers through their Western Conference Finals series against the Dallas Stars. The now healthy Pickard was more of a spectator again. Waiting for his moment had become second nature.“The quality of the chances was really good [in Game 5], so there’s no fault at all on Calvin for any of those goals,” Knoblauch said. “When the pressure isn’t on [the goalies] that they have to make every save to keep this close or keep us ahead [it’s better]. It would be nice to get some goal support. [Game 5] was a case where we struggled to generate offense. It would be nice to have that lead and play knowing they have to open things up when they’re losing.”
Kris Knoblauch
Pickard has learned to take advantage of his repetitions, perceiving each one as significant even when the result is predictable. “Getting time in Game 3 [of the Final] at the end, even when it was out of control there [with the score], is still good ice time for me to get out there and see the game action,” Pickard said. “That propelled me to be ready for Game 4. [Any] practice time is huge.”“In the last two years, [Skinner] has played much more than me,” Pickard said. “So the practice time is huge for me. [Our staff] keeps me in tune when I’m not playing and doing different exercises to replicate situations in the games, and for when that opportunity comes”.
Calvin Pickard
Pickard’s numbers in the series (.878 SV%, 2.88 GAA) are stronger than Skinner’s (.860 SV%, 4.20 GAA) and are on par for the entire postseason (Pickard has an .886 SV% and 2.85 GAA versus Skinner’s .891 SV% and 2.99 GAA). Their records, however, are quite different: 7-1 for Pickard, 7-6 for Skinner. So, who gives the Oilers the best chance to win Game 6 and drag Florida back to Edmonton for a second consecutive Game 7 final between these teams in the Cup Final? If Pickard gets the call, it will be the culmination of 10 years of constant effort to be reliable when there is no tomorrow. Only the present moment exists, where the right backup goalie has always been trained to be ready.“[It’s] a conversation with the staff, obviously with our goalie coach, Dustin Schwartz, but with all the assistants, the general manager,” Knoblauch said. “[We’re going to] weigh how everyone feels and what’s best for the future. It’s not an easy decision. We have two goalies who have shown they can play extremely well, win hockey games, and we feel that no matter who we choose, they can win the game.”
Kris Knoblauch
