Calvin Pickard Injured, Stuart Skinner Takes the Reins for the Oilers
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard will miss the remainder of the Western Conference semifinal series against the Vegas Golden Knights due to an injury, according to reports.
On Monday, with Stuart Skinner in goal, the Oilers defeated the Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 4, securing a 3-1 series lead. Skinner made 23 saves in the victory.
Pickard has won all six starts in goal for the Oilers during this postseason. After Edmonton lost the first two games against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, coach Kris Knoblauch replaced Skinner, the team’s regular season starter, with Pickard. The 33-year-old backup earned wins in the next four games to help the Oilers eliminate the Kings and then earned wins in the first two games of the second round in Las Vegas.
Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl fell on Pickard’s left leg during the Oilers’ 5-4 overtime win on May 8. The Moncton, New Brunswick native finished the game but hasn’t practiced since. With Skinner back in net, Edmonton lost 4-3 in Game 3, when Vegas forward Reilly Smith scored with 0.4 seconds remaining.
It was reported that “it will likely be at least a week” before Pickard can return, and during Monday night’s Game 4, Olivier Rodrigue was the backup goalie on the bench. Rodrigue, 24, played only two games for Edmonton in his first NHL season.
Before Monday’s shutout, Skinner, who starred in the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final last spring, had allowed 15 goals in just 168 minutes of playing time this postseason and has a low save percentage of .817. During the regular season, Skinner had a record of 26-18-4, with a goals-against average of 2.81 and a save percentage of .896.
Since falling 2-0 to the Kings, the Oilers have won seven of eight postseason games. Game 5 is in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.
