As the Edmonton Oilers prepare for a crucial Game 4 matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night, concerns surrounding goaltender Calvin Pickard‘s health have intensified. The team may not be revealing the full extent of the situation, which is listed as day-to-day. In fact, one insider hinted the Oilers might be putting a positive spin on things.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported over the weekend that Pickard is expected to miss at least a week, putting his availability for the remainder of the series in serious doubt. “I’m told it’ll probably be at least a week,” Dreger said, suggesting that any hope of Pickard returning before a potential Game 7 is highly unlikely.
How Is Pickard’s Situation That Bad?
The Oilers haven’t changed their official prognosis of Pickard’s injury, but if Dreger’s sources are accurate, this isn’t good news for Edmonton. It’s also surprising, given that Pickard finished Game 2 and picked up the victory to give the Oilers a 2-0 series lead.
Pickard suffered his injury during Game 2 — when Tomas Hertl fell on him — but finished the contest. News of his absence in Game 3 came as a surprise and was felt almost instantly. Edmonton fell 4-3 in a last-second heartbreaker, shifting momentum back to Vegas, with Edmonton clinging to a lead in the series at 2-1.
Despite only playing a handful of games in this year’s playoffs, Pickard built a surprising fan following in Edmonton thanks to his 6-0 record. His performances, while statistically average, included timely saves in key moments. If he’s out for the series, there is genuine concern that the Oilers don’t have the same confidence in Skinner as in Pickard.
Oilers Publicly Backing Skinner as He Might Close Out Series with Vegas
In the final seconds of Game 3, Skinner came way out of his net to make a play on Reilly Smith. More than just the goaltender was involved in the Oilers’ collapse, but Skinner’s decision-making in that moment is receiving a lot of heat from Oilers Nation.
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The Oilers have stuck by Skinner, and he’s seemingly remained confident. After the game, he noted, “That’s a goalie’s job to give your team a chance to win the game. I thought I did, but it’s a couple of tough bounces here and there.”
Oilers forward Zach Hyman echoed that sentiment before Game 4, saying, “Both goalies give us a chance to win. We have a formula that works, and we’ve got to get back to it. We’ve got to play better in front of Skinner.”
Can the Oilers Beat the Golden Knights Without Pickard in Goal?
The hope is that Pickard is only out for a game or two. In the meantime, Edmonton has some decisions to make if Skinner doesn’t find his game or steal a win on behalf of the Oilers. The organization may have already started making them.
Tom Gazzola of Edmonton Sports Talk noted that Colin Delia, a veteran goaltender for the Bakersfield Condors, is en route to Edmonton — a move that might not mean anything, but could also suggest the Oilers are preparing for a longer-term absence for Pickard than they’ve acknowledged publicly.
Delia’s call-up, combined with Dreger’s report, implies Pickard may not return in this series at all. At best, a return in a do-or-die Game 7 could be possible, but rushing back a backup goalie in such a high-stakes scenario could be problematic. The Oilers ideally need to win Game 4 and put this series away in five or six games. That would give Pickard time to rest and the Oilers a chance to decide without panicking.
The Oilers knew they would need Skinner to play well if they were to win the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, this is not the ideal circumstance for them to find out if he is capable.