Pickard saves Oilers with another huge performance: ‘We love playing for him’
When Calvin Pickard first signed with the Edmonton Oilers in 2022, he was seen as nothing more than an AHL goalie. What a difference a few years can make.
When Calvin Pickard first signed with the Edmonton Oilers in 2022, he was seen as nothing more than an AHL goalie.
What a difference a few years can make.
After the Oilers fell behind 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings in their first-round playoff series, Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch turned to Pickard to replace struggling starter Stuart Skinner.
All Pickard did was help the team win four consecutive games, highlighted by an outstanding effort Thursday in a wild 6-4 win over the visiting Los Angeles Kings.
“Picks gave us a chance all night,” Connor McDavid said.
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“We love playing for him. He’s been a guy who’s just been a battler his whole career. Couldn’t be a better guy.”
The 33-year-old Pickard played the second-most games of his NHL career this season, 36 outings, and gave the team a chance to win most nights.
In Game 6, Pickard stopped Warren Foegele on a breakaway in the second to preserve a 3-2 lead. The home side stayed in front the rest of the way.
Down the stretch, Pickard made several more big saves to hold off a furious Kings comeback attempt. He finished with 23 stops.
“We were kind of dead in the water there for a bit, down 2-0 and obviously trailing Game 3,” Pickard said. “But the resolve of this group is crazy —last year, this year, since I’ve been here. We always face adversity and we always come back stronger. Today wasn’t our best by any stretch, but we found a way.”
The Moncton, N.B.-born, Winnipeg-raised Pickard has bounced between the AHL and NHL for much of his career.
He proved this series he’s capable of playing his best on the biggest stage.
“If you’re not believing in yourself, you’re not going to have too much success,” he said. “There were some tough days all the way through, obviously playing in the American League for a while. I knew I could get back here and knew I could play at this level. Opportunity is one thing and seizing the opportunity is the other.”
