The Edmonton Oilers will start Calvin Pickard in net Tuesday for Game 4 of their playoff series with the Vancouver Canucks.
The 32-year-old journeyman netminder replaces Stuart Skinner, who was pulled in the third period of EdmontonB次元官网网址檚 4-3 loss to Vancouver on Sunday after giving up four goals on 15 shots.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 expecting what IB次元官网网址檝e seen from Calvin all season B次元官网网址� a goaltender whoB次元官网网址檚 competed very hard, played very well for us and piled up a lot of victories,B次元官网网址� Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said of the swap.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not an ideal situation, he hasnB次元官网网址檛 been playing for a long time. But heB次元官网网址檚 gone long stretches without playing and I think the team has a lot of confidence in Calvin when he has played. And heB次元官网网址檚 going to be our guy.B次元官网网址�
Pickard is making his first start in the NHL playoffs after making 20 appearances for the Oilers in the regular season.
The six-foot-one, 206-pound goalie went 12-7-1 with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 exciting, obviously. All you can ask for is an opportunity in the Stanley Cup playoffs,B次元官网网址� Pickard said after morning skate Tuesday. B次元官网网址淚 felt like I had a good season and the preparationB次元官网网址檚 done. IB次元官网网址檓 excited to get out there.B次元官网网址�
Pickard signed with the Oilers as a free agent in July 2022 and has spent much of his tenure with the organization playing for the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League.
Originally picked 49th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2010 draft, the native of Moncton, N.B., has played 139 regular-season NHL games for six different teams, including one for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2017-18 campaign.
Making it to a playoff start hasnB次元官网网址檛 been easy, Pickard admitted.
B次元官网网址淚 know I can play at this level and this year I proved it to myself and everybody around me,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a really good opportunity for me tonight and I feel like IB次元官网网址檓 ready.B次元官网网址�
Edmonton trails Vancouver 2-1 in the best-of-seven second-round Western Conference playoff series.
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