Good morning, everyone, and a happy Monday to all of you. I’ve got a fresh mailbag ready to go, after taking your questions and sending them to the crew for their take on whatever’s on your mind. This week, we’re discussing the Edmonton Oilers’ goaltending, Calvin Pickard’s injury, Kris Knoblauch’s evolution, and more. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to me at baggedmilk@oilersnation.com or on Twitter at @jsbmbaggedmilk, and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.
Oct 9, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard (30) replaces goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) after he gave up 5 goals on 13 shots against the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
1) Yves asks – Do you also find a difference in how the Oilers skaters perform in front of Stuart Skinner vs. Calvin Pickard? My uneducated eye suggests that the team seems to rally around their backup in a much different way.
Jason Gregor:
The coach says no. I’m not sure I’ve seen it. They did have two really good defensive games, but they also were very leaky in Game 6 v. LA and Game 2 v. VGK.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
I definitely feel like they do, but when you look at the xGF numbers, they don’t consistently support that. At least they really haven’t during these playoffs. Pickard is just flat out playing better and that probably changes our perception of how the team looks in front of them a little bit.
Liam Horrobin:
The opening two games against LA and then every game until last night were played by drastically different teams. Yes, the team played differently in front of their two goaltenders. They’ve got to figure out how to play better in front of Skinner to kill the conspiracy theory. They should be able to rally around the goaltender who got them to the Stanley Cup Final last season.
Baggedmilk:
My eyeballs tell me they play differently in front of Pickard vs. Skinner, but I don’t really have any number to back that up. Am I allowed to say ‘yes’ based on vibes alone?
May 10, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN : Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) looks for the puck as Las Vegas Golden Knights right winger Reilly Smith (19) shoots during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
2) Andrew asks – How confident are you with Stuart Skinner taking over in net if Calvin Pickard‘s day-to-day injury is more significant than we’re led to believe? It’s not as if Knoblauch has been entirely truthful with his injury timelines this year.
Jason Gregor:
It is playoffs. It is hard to get a read on a player’s injury. Vegas said McNabb was day-to-day at the morning skate of Game 3, and he played that night. I could see Pickard miss a few games. The Oilers should be able to withstand his absence, just like they have with Ekholm being out.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
After Game 3, not that confident. I was choosing to be positive when I heard that Skinner was taking over the net, but he simply wasn’t good enough in Game 3 and if the Oilers had Pickard in net, there’s a good chance they’re up 3-0 in the series. Again, there were reasons to be confident in Skinner heading into things. He was good last year when he got the crease back and he’s been good recently against the Golden Knights. He just didn’t deliver.
Liam Horrobin:
No choice but to be confident and believe. There were improvements in Game 3 from what we saw in Games 1 & 2 versus the LA Kings. He battled for pucks, showed up with a couple of big saves in the second, and even played the puck well in a few moments. The game-winning goal wasn’t a good look on him, but it wasn’t a good look on the players ahead of him either. Skinner can do this.
Baggedmilk:
Not very, as much as it pains me to say. Being at the game and feeling the air get sucked out of the building after a couple of bad goals was rough. Pray for Cal.
May 10, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Las Vegas Golden Knightsright winger Reilly Smith (19) celebrates a goal on Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) during the second period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
3) James asks – What do the Oilers need to do to fix their penalty kill? We can’t afford to have the PK killing off only 60% of the penalties they face and expect to be successful in the long term.
Jason Gregor:
I don’t like how passive they have their defensemen v. VGK. They did kill off all the PP chances in Game 3, so that is progress.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
I’m not great at doing breakdowns of different systems and what not, but I do feel like they’re not aggressive enough on the Golden Knights’ skill players like Jack Eichel. They also botch a decent amount of clearing attempts.
Liam Horrobin:
Show more aggression. They changed their style in Game 3, but previously, they sat back too much and allowed the opposition to pick their lanes. It went well, so we need to see more of that.
Baggedmilk:
I wish they didn’t give Jack Eichel as much time as they do when he has the pucks. The dude has all the time in the world to make a play and a sandwich, and I’m hopeful the trend from Game 3 of pressuring a little more will continue.
Oct 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch during the first period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.
4) Bryce asks – Have you seen Kris Knoblauch’s coaching or adjustments evolve at all in his second postseason run with the Oilers? How would you rate Coach Garlic (BM Note: Garlic = Knoblauch in German, if you didn’t know) after the first nine playoff games so far?
Jason Gregor:
He has been fine. He makes good systemic adjustments and the team has responded. He uses his entire bench and I like how he switches up the winger with 97 and 29 in games.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
I would give him a really good rating. I love that he found a lineup that seemed to work for a while and just rolled with it. He obviously made a good call going to Calvin Pickard. I love the confidence he has in players lower in his lineup too. Even making things work with this blue line is impressive. There’s lots to really like about how the Oilers have been coached in these playoffs. He’s even gotten a little spicy at times, which I love.
Liam Horrobin:
I’ll say a B+. The 5-on-5 play has been fantastic but the special teams have struggled. I know special teams are necessarily his department but he’s still the head coach so responsibility and blame is going to fall on him. Its hard to coach a perfect game every night. In the three games the Oilers have lost, they’ve lost their identity of generating consistent offence and limiting teams with strong defensive structure. Fortunately, we’ve watched them perform more often than not.
Baggedmilk:
I like that he’s sticking with his line combinations that are working, and wasn’t afraid to make a goalie swap in the first round. Those are two key pieces of his coaching that I think were upgrades over Jay Woodcroft. Not perfect, but he’s doing fine in my books.
May 6, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Detailed view of a warm-up puck sits on the ice before the start of game one of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
5) Rene asks – There have been a lot of great games in round two across the NHL. Other than the Oilers, which series are you paying most attention to and what is your take on it?
Jason Gregor:
The Toronto/Florida series I’ve watched the most. Can Toronto finish of the Panthers. Huge win for FLA in OT in Game 3 and TOR really needs a goal from Auston Matthews. You know things are tough for a top-end player when analysts talk about their defensive game more. You don’t pay guys $12m for their defense.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
Florida vs Toronto has been pure chaos and I love it. I really hope that series goes seven games. Jets vs Stars has also been really good.
Liam Horrobin:
My friend is a Leafs fan, so I’ve watched parts of their series against the Florida Panthers with him. Toronto will take that series, then lose to Carolina in the Eastern Conference Final. Other than that, I am loyal to the Oil and only make time for them.
Baggedmilk:
Toronto/Florida has been fun and I love the vibes going on in Winnipeg. Despite being a small barn, Jets fans had that place rocking for Games 1 & 2.
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