EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) 鈥� The Edmonton Oilers will start Calvin Pickard in net for Game 4 of their playoff series with the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.
The 32-year-old journeyman netminder replaces Stuart Skinner, who was pulled in the third period of Edmonton鈥檚 4-3 loss to Vancouver on Sunday after giving up four goals on 15 shots.
Edmonton trails Vancouver 2-1 in the best-of-seven second-round playoff series.
鈥淚鈥檓 expecting what I鈥檝e seen from Calvin all season 鈥� a goaltender who鈥檚 competed very hard, played very well for us and piled up a lot of victories,鈥� Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said of the change.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not an ideal situation, he hasn鈥檛 been playing for a long time. But he鈥檚 gone long stretches without playing and I think the team has a lot of confidence in Calvin when he has played. And he鈥檚 going to be our guy.鈥�
Pickard is making his first start in the NHL playoffs after making 20 appearances for the Oilers in the regular season. He went 12-7-1 with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting, obviously. All you can ask for is an opportunity in the Stanley Cup playoffs,鈥� Pickard said after the morning skate Tuesday. 鈥淚 felt like I had a good season and the preparation鈥檚 done. I鈥檓 excited to get out there.鈥�
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.
Pickard said making it to a playoff start hasn鈥檛 been easy.
鈥淚 know I can play at this level and this year I proved it to myself and everybody around me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a really good opportunity for me tonight and I feel like I鈥檓 ready.鈥�
___
AP NHL:
The Associated Press
