Oilers recall G Pickard from AHL ahead of Game 5 vs. Kings
Published
With the Edmonton Oilers' goalie situation up in the air for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Los Angeles Kings, the team made the surprise move of recalling goalie Calvin Pickard from the American Hockey League.
Following practice on Tuesday, Stuart Skinner confirmed he would be the starter for Game 5 after getting replaced by Jack Campbell during Edmonton's impressive comeback Game 4 victory in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Head coach Jay Woodcroft confirmed Skinner would get the start.
Skinner, who started the majority of games for Edmonton during the regular season, was pulled after the first period in Game 4 after allowing three goals on just 11 shots. Campbell came in for the next two periods and stopped 27 of 28 shots as the Oilers came back from three goals down to even their first-round series with Kings at two games apiece.
The team has yet to announce why Pickard was recalled from the minors.
Skinner, 24, posted a 2.73 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage with a shutout over a career-high 50 games during the 2022-23 season. The Edmonton native has also started all four games so far in the playoffs.
The 31-year-old Campbell, who signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the Oilers last summer, struggled at times during the regular season, posting a 21-9-4 record with a 3.41 GAA and a .888 save percentage.
Pickard, 31, has spent the entire season in the minors with the Bakersfield Condors, going 23-12-2 with a 2.70 GAA and a .912 save percentage. The Moncton, N.B., native appeared in three games with the Detroit Red Wings last season and has 116 career appearances in the NHL since being drafted in the second round by the Colorado Avalanche in 2010.