The Edmonton Oilers need a win in Game 2 of their best-of-seven first-round Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoff series to take home-ice advantage away from the Los Angeles Kings. If I were head coach Kris Knoblauch, I would start Calvin Pickard in net over Stuart Skinner on Wednesday in Los Angeles. If the Oilers lose, they’ll be down 2-0 heading back to Edmonton for Game 3, and Pickard has inspired confidence in the team more often than Skinner has this season.
When Connor McDavid scored with under two minutes left in Game 1 to tie the game 5-5, the Oilers had completed a miraculous comeback after being down 4-0 late in the second period. It looked like the game was heading to overtime until Kings forward Phillip Danault scored on a “knuckle puck” with 42 seconds left to lift the Kings to a 6-5 victory.
It’s a shot Skinner should have stopped. He looked lost on the play, like he had earlier in the game, and so often this season. Great Oilers goalies like Grant Fuhr, Andy Moog, Bill Ranford, Curtis Joseph, and Dwayne Roloson always found a way to stop that last puck. Unfortunately, Skinner doesn’t seem to have the quality, which is why Pickard should start Game 2.
Pickard Has the Team Behind Him
When Skinner missed eight games late in the season due to a concussion/neck injury, Pickard filled in admirably, helping the Oilers reach 100 points. His teammates play hard for him, and he, in turn, inspires confidence – he only let in a handful of goals this season one might consider weak or bad.
The Oilers allowed many goals on Monday night due to spotty defensive play and bad giveaways, including two by defenceman Evan Bouchard, but teams expect their goalie to come up big when they need it most. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen in Game 1. Skinner was often caught out of position, and he didn’t inspire confidence in his team.
Comparing Pickard To Former Oilers Goalie Jussi Markkanen
In the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, Jussi Markkanen played well in relief after Roloson went down with an injury in Game 1. Even though the Oilers lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games in the Final, Markkanen wasn’t to blame. Though not as flashy as Roloson, Markkanen was steady, and his calmness helped boost the team. Pickard possesses similar qualities. He rarely lets in a bad goal that costs his team, and like Markkanen has a calm demeanour. You often hear his teammates mention how much they love playing for him. Draisaitl was boasting about Pickard after a 2-1 overtime victory over the New York Islanders on March 14 saying, “He gives us a chance every time he’s in the net. So, you can’t ask for more than that. We love playing for him, and I think that’s obvious. He’s our heart and soul guy.” That quote alone shows how much the team values Pickard.
Oilers Were One Save Away From Going Into Overtime in Game 1
There were a lot of positives in the Game 1 loss, especially how the Oilers rallied in the third period and got inside the head of Kings starting goalie Darcy Kuemper. Kuemper put up great numbers this season, but the Oilers found a way to put five past him on Monday night.
Related: 7 Crazy Stats From Oilers’ Game 1 Loss to Kings
With so many players in and out of the lineup down the stretch, the Oilers looked disjointed in the first half of last night’s game. But after McDavid and Leon Draisaitl inspired the third-period comeback, the team came together. All they needed was a big save in the final minute, and unfortunately they didn’t get it. Pickard is better at delivering a big save late in a game than Skinner, and he should start Game 2. We’ll see what the Oilers coaching staff has to say.
