Before the playoffs began, I wrote a piece about Edmonton Oilers’ netminder Calvin Pickard, highlighting how his resilience throughout his career is paying off, especially after he was named the team’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy last month.

The resilience came from over 10 years of bouncing between the AHL and NHL, which ironically included being selected as the first player by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018 expansion draft — the very team the Oilers are facing next in the playoffs — only to be traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs before even playing a regular-season game with Vegas. From there, he bounced between leagues once again, mostly playing in the AHL, until he became a staple on the Oilers’ roster last season, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Fast forward to today, and as we saw, Stuart Skinner started in net for the first two playoff games against the Los Angeles Kings last round. However, the team turned to Pickard for the remainder of the series, where he became the only netminder in the NHL to post a 4-0 record in Round 1. Still, I believed Pickard should’ve been the one to get the start from the very beginning, and here’s what I wrote:

Given that, what led me to believe he should start in the playoffs was just how clutch he was late in games, even though it was a small sample size down the stretch when Skinner was injured.

As a refresher, Pickard started eight games near the end of the regular season, winning five of them, posting a .900 save percentage (SV%), and making timely late saves in three games, leading to Oilers wins. For example, the netminder made a clutch stop on a breakaway by St. Louis Blues’ Nathan Walker with 45 seconds remaining in a 3-3 tie. The play then shifted the other way, with Connor McDavid setting up Connor Brown for a game-winner on April 9.

Additionally, Pickard also made crucial late-game stops in back-to-back games down the stretch. On April 3, with the Oilers up 3-2 over the San Jose Sharks, the 33-year-old stopped a cross-crease pass with his head, with less than a minute left in the game. Against Vegas two nights earlier, with the Oilers up by one and under two minutes remaining, he went mano a mano with Pavel Dorofeyev in the slot, a 35-goal scorer in the regular season, and the Moncton, N.B. native made yet another clutch save to preserve the lead and help secure a 3-2 win.

That was a small sample size down the stretch of Pickard making late clutch saves, but in the four games he played last round against L.A., he showed those late-game heroics weren’t just a fluke, and he’s building a bigger narrative on his resilience story that he can deliver in the clutch.

Pickard came into the series in Game 3 against the Kings and made 25 saves on 28 shots, including seven stops on eight high-danger chances. The Oilers mounted a tremendous comeback, down a goal late, Evander Kane tied it up with just under seven minutes remaining, and Evan Bouchard scored shortly after to make it 5-4 for Edmonton.

Edmonton scored an empty-netter, but Pickard made a fantastic late stop, one that may get overlooked because of the goal that followed. With the score 6-4, the puck was centred to Kevin Fiala, who was all alone in front, and Pickard came up with a huge save.

The rebound bounced to Vasily Podkolzin, who fired it down the ice, and Brown tapped it into the empty net to make it 7-4. Had Pickard not made that stop, it would’ve been a one-goal game, and the Kings still had time to make things interesting.

Game 4 saw the Oilers’ netminder stop 38 of 41 shots, posting a .927 SV% and saving three goals above expected, according to Natural Stat Trick. Once again, he came up clutch and made what might’ve been a series-saving stop on former Oiler Warren Foegele. With the Kings leading 3-2 in the third period, Foegele intercepted a John Klingberg pass in front of the net, but Pickard sprawled to deny him and keep the game within reach. Bouchard tied the game, Pickard stood tall in overtime, making seven saves, and Draisaitl scored the game-winner.

Pickard allowed just one goal in Game 5, posting a .955 SV% while stopping five of six high-danger chances, and his clutch moment came with the Oilers leading 2-1 in the third period and only two minutes remaining. Fiala attempted a backhand wraparound, but Pickard made a stretched-out pad stop, and the Oilers then added an empty-netter en route to a 3-1 win.

Game 6 was almost pond hockey-esque, with both teams trading chances, scoring two goals apiece before it was even six minutes into the game. But once again, Pickard made the big stops when it mattered throughout the game. He stopped two breakaways, and likely his biggest save came late in the third period, when Anze Kopitar’s shot bounced point-blank to Brandt Clarke.

The Oilers’ netminder extended his right pad, absolutely robbing the Kings’ D-man, and Jack Michaels summed it up perfectly during the broadcast with one word about the save that it was “Unbelievable!”.

At the time of this writing, it hasn’t been confirmed which goaltender gets the first crack at manning the net against the Golden Knights, Pickard or Skinner. As TSN’s Ryan Rishaug noted at practice last Sunday, Skinner was in what’s typically considered the starter’s net, but a day later, he mentioned that Pickard was in the starter’s net for line rushes.

If I had a preference, I’d go with the guy who just won four straight, Pickard, and turned the entire series around against L.A.

And maybe I’d go with the 33-year-old because I’m also drawn to nostalgic storylines repeating themselves — the kind where an older goalie steps in and becomes a playoff hero for the Oilers, just like Dwayne Roloson did in his mid-30s during that 2006 run to the Stanley Cup Final.

In addition, I’d start the netminder who earned the last win over the Golden Knights in the regular season, posted a .909 SV% in what felt like a playoff-type game, and made a last-minute clutch save against one of their most dangerous shooters to seal the win. Pickard’s confidence should be at an all-time high with the clutch save after clutch save he’s made, and now he has the chance to add another chapter to his storybook — the one where he can stick it to the team that never gave him a real shot, the Vegas Golden Knights.

We’re beyond excited to announce our latest partnership with Odd Company Brewing to bring you the all-new Nation Beer Everyday Lager! Whether you’re watching the big game, chilling with friends, or just kicking back after a long day, this crisp, refreshing lager is the perfect choice. It’s the brew you can count on anytime, anywhere. So, why not make it your next game-day tradition? Nation Beer Everyday Lager is available now at Odd Company Brewing and through Liquor Connect. Don’t miss out—grab yours today and take your beer game to the next level! Cheers, Nation Citizens!