Calvin Pickard will be Oilers starting goalie in Game 5 against the L.A. Kings

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 29, 2025 5:26 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

The Edmonton Oilers volition erstwhile again commencement Calvin Pickard successful nett for Game 5 against the Los Angeles Kings connected Tuesday.

Head manager Kris Knoblauch confirmed the determination aft the greeting skate.

"I deliberation he's made immoderate large saves erstwhile we've needed it, particularly successful the 2nd fractional of the game," helium said of the 33-year-old goalie. "I similar that nothing's fazed him and he's fixed america truly coagulated goaltending astatine cardinal times."

Pickard replaced Stuart Skinner successful extremity midway done Game 2, past backstopped the Oilers to wins successful Games 3 and 4 to necktie the best-of-seven first-round bid astatine 2-2.

The six-foot-one, 206-pound netminder from Moncton, N.B., has a .889 prevention percent with a 3.29 goals-against mean crossed the 3 games he's played this post-season.

Pickard was 22-10-1 successful regular-season play done the 2024-25 run with a .900 prevention percent and a 2.71 goals-against average.

Skinner, 26, was Edmonton's starter for overmuch of the regular play and enactment up a 26-18-4 grounds with a .896 prevention percentage, a 2.81 goals-against mean and 3 shutouts.

He gave up 11 goals connected 58 shots crossed the archetypal 2 games of the series.

The Oilers caput into Tuesday's matchup averaging 4.75 goals against per game, the highest among the 16 playoff teams. The Kings are 2nd astatine 4.50.

The precocious extremity totals are apt to dwindle arsenic the bid goes on, Knoblauch said.

"It would beryllium beauteous hard to deliberation it would enactment arsenic precocious arsenic it has been implicit these 4 games," helium said. "Especially with 2 teams that instrumentality a batch of pridefulness successful their antiaircraft play, successful keeping the puck out. So I'd ideate that there'll beryllium immoderate 1-0, 2-1 hockey games aboriginal on."