(Vancouver) Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch has not yet decided who his starting goaltender will be in Game 5 of the series against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.
The best-of-seven second-round series is tied 2-2 following a 3-2 Oilers win on Tuesday. Rather than going with his starting goaltender Stuart Skinner, Knoblauch had entrusted the net to Calvin Pickard.
“We haven’t decided. […] We will have a decision for you tomorrow morning,” the head coach told reporters Wednesday upon arriving in Vancouver.
In the third game, Sunday, which the Oilers lost, Skinner gave way to Pickard after allowing four goals on 15 shots.
PHOTO BOB FRID, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVES
Stuart Skinner
Since the start of the series, Skinner has given up 12 goals in three games, for a save percentage of .793, and only one victory.
For his part, Pickard made his first start in playoff games on Tuesday, in his 13the season among the professionals, and he did not disappoint.
PHOTO DAVID ZALUBOWSKI, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Calvin Pickard
The 32-year-old goalie blocked 19 shots and earned praise from his coach.
“(Pickard) looked like a guy who had played 100 playoff games,” Knoblauch said Tuesday night. “He was calm, very solid and saw the puck very well. »
The decision to give the net to Pickard in the last match was made following several discussions.
“Several things pushed me towards this decision,” said the head coach. By talking with staff members and getting feedback from players, but especially assistant coaches, Ken Holland (general manager and president of hockey operations), I gather as much information as possible from within the organization to then make my choice and move forward.
“Calvin showed up and played really well. The decision seems to be the right one when the player shows up and performs, but the only reason that gave me confidence to move forward like this was all of Calvin’s work during the season. »
This season, Pickard started 20 games in net for the Oilers, posting a 12-7-1 record, a 2.45 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
Skinner finished the campaign with a record of 36-16-5. He posted a goals-against average of 2.62 and a save percentage of .905.