With Calvin Pickard’s play and better defense, the Oilers have time to trade for a goalie.
Edmonton —Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinnpiner haven’t combined their funds to purchase a watch for Ken Holland as a holiday present. With a major helg hand from the skaters’ defensive play, the two goaltenders have bought the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers some time.
The guys in the crease have been providing either timely or excellent puck-stopping for more than two weeks, despite repeated calls from Holland and management to improve the most crucial position in the game.
Prior to Sunday’s 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils, Skinner started the previous seven games and won the final six of them. In those six wins, he had a save percentage of.913.
In Skinner’s place, Pickard was called upon to stop the Devils in twenty-six out of twenty-seven shots, extending the Oilers’ winning run to seven games. In that time, the Oilers have given up just 12 goals.
Defenseman Darnell Nurse said, “It’s a combination of everything.” “They’ve also been making huge saves at crucial times, but our defense has been much better lately.
Generally speaking, one cannot have the other without the other. It is demonstrated.
The Oilers didn’t have either facet going on very long ago.
When head coach Jay Woodcroft was let go on November 12, they had the worst team save percentage in the NHL (.864). Two games prior to that action, expensive goalie Jack Campbell was sent to the minor leagues.
Since then, the Oilers and their goalies have a 9-3 record under new coach Kris Knoblauch.With more focus and dedication to defense, especially off the rush, the 903 collective save percentage has improved.
“At that point, looking back a month ago, it could have been easy to get discouraged, but they’re still working,” the nurse stated. “That’s just a bright spot for us.”
“Those guys have been under constant pressure from everyone.” Everyone has been complaining about how bad the goalies are. This is what the goalies do. Blueliner Vincent Desharnais said, “The goalies that.” “It just indicates that the team’s performance may have been more problematic for us.”
The Oilers’ recent play was summed up in a brilliant way by Pickard’s entire defensive effort against the Devils.
When it came to five-on-five play, the Oilers dominated virtually all metrics and managed the game’s flow. With four of New Jersey’s opportunities foiled, their penalty kill improved to 91.1 percent in 12 games under assistant coach Mark Stuart and Knoblauch.
Regular PKer Connor Brown said, “We’re killing with a lot of confidence.” We’re looking for ways to get better at the ones we’re killing. Our goal is to increase the pressure as much as we can.
Pickard was there, mostly, to close the door whenever the Devils got a whiff.
Pickard didn’t have much work to do in the first half of the game as the Oilers limited the Devils to seven shots in the first quarter and the first forty minutes of play, but he stopped every shot that was thrown at him. When he used his left pad to stop Oilers draft pick John Marino up close, it was his best save of the game.
The only puck that eluded him came after the one occasion when the Oilers defense fell short of expectations. After Devils captain Nico Hischier discovered an unguarded Jesper Bratt on a cross-seam pass, Pickard had no chance. Apart from that, Pickard and the Oilers were perfect.
Midway through the third quarter, Pickard looked composed as he grabbed a Tyler Toffoli shot on a Devils power play without letting the rebound fall. Earlier in the shift, he also made a huge save on Jack Hughes during a six-on-five for the Devils, which allowed Evander Kane to score into an empty net.
Not bad for someone who, prior to this season, his second with the Oilers organization, hadn’t played in an NHL game since March 2022.
You’re searching for that chance all the time. Over the past 18 months, not much has happened, according to Pickard. There’s only so much pressure you can put on yourself when there are few, far between starts.
We’ve had some excellent practice time in the last few weeks since my last game, I believe. Right now, I’m feeling good about my game. I’m going to feel more confident after playing this game.
Here, let’s be clear. Pickard is most likely not the best long-term option to support Skinner. In fact, it’s probably best not to include him in the medium-term plans at all. It would be unjust to rely on him in this capacity going forward.
With 119 games played in the major leagues and a starting career in the NHL, the 31-year-old is a solid, seasoned No. 3 goalie. At this stage of his career, that’s all he should be, barring something unexpected.
Skinner, who has experienced far more setbacks than successes in his second NHL season, is under unnecessary stress as a result of the absence of a reliable backup goalie.
If the Oilers want to contend for the Stanley Cup, they need two strong NHL goalies. Remember that as the most isolated and northern team in the league, they have some of the worst travel.
Still, Pickard has contributed to calming the waters. In his final appearance, on November 22 at Carolina, he made 13 saves on 14 shots while filling in for Skinner. He more than proved his worth on Sunday after a protracted absence.
Veteran minor leaguer Desharnais said of Pickard, “It’s not easy to be in that position.” “You never know what’s going to happen to you every day. It has been a month since he last saw his family. Tonight, his family was present in the building. That day is something he deserves. He is worthy of this victory.
“He was amazing.” He remained prepared, said Nurse. It displays the amount of effort he has been making. He came on and saved a lot of our bacon, particularly in the closing moments. It was amazing to witness.
It is a great blessing that he is here.
Likewise, management is.
With Pickard and Skinner together, Holland and company don’t have to wait until the Dec. 20–27 holiday freeze to try to find a solution to the goaltending dilemma. The way the goalies play is like a pressure valve opening. It is possible for management to gradually remove their hands from the panic button while still making calls and assessing the market.
With a new lease on life, the Oilers have won seven straight games and are back in the NHL.500 at 12-12-1.
Seven games ago, not many people would have believed that (was possible), according to Desharnais. Still, it proves that we are a capable team. Our squad is capable of making the postseason. Our squad is ready to tackle any challenge. All we can do is do it every day.
It’s a routine. We’ve managed to right the ship. Our confidence will continue to grow if we continue to build. We now have our confidence back. It’s our swagger again.
So why not hold onto Pickard a little while longer until the optimal trade is reached?
Campbell doesn’t need to be called back anytime soon. Despite a few strong starts for AHL Bakersfield, Campbell’s performance has been, to put it mildly, mediocre. After eight appearances, his save percentage stands at.887.
Additionally, the Oilers will need to cut one player from the roster in order to accommodate Pickard under the salary cap if they decide to trade Campbell for him. Adam Erne would most likely be cut given usage and the need to have a backup defenceman on hand. For the past four games, Erne has been left off the field.
Recall that the Oilers are not able to accumulate cap space while they are on long-term injured reserve. However, given that Dylan Holloway is anticipated to return either shortly before or shortly after the holiday break, they shouldn’t be on the list for too long. Dropping to a 21-man roster makes no sense unless you plan to use the cap space you accumulate before the trade deadline.
The Oilers should be able to continue running out Skinner and a pinch of Pickard for the next few minutes, or until they find the right partner for the former.
Holland and co. should be commended for their dedication to team defense for that. They have Skinner to thank. They can also without a doubt thank Pickard.
Desharnais grinned broadly when talking about his goalie following the game, but Pickard was far more serious.
He had experienced enough wonderful starts to feel the need to cherish this one. In his opinion, he will simply give it his all for the Oilers the next time, whether or not his name is called.
Pickard said, “I know I can play in this league.” I haven’t had many opportunities, obviously. I can improve a lot from this game. I’m excited to see what comes next.
