EDMONTON, AB – Goaltender Calvin Pickard will start for the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place in Thursday night’s rematch against the Seattle Kraken.
The 33-year-old was named Edmonton’s starter this morning by Head Coach Kris Knoblauch for their second meeting with Seattle in the last six days, after Stuart Skinner pitched a 26-save shutout in a 4-0 victory this past Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena on the West Coast.
Pickard’s last performance was an exceptional one in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Tampa Lightning on Nov. 20, when he protected the shutout until the final three minutes of regulation before the Oilers fell in sudden death, having set a new season high with 33 saves in the tough-luck road defeat.
“You don’t want them sitting too long,” Knoblauch said. “We could absolutely go back with Stuart Skinner. We didn’t play the other day, and he’s playing really well, so he could have had this game. But with Picks, you don’t want him going too long without having a game, and also, how well he played in his last game in Tampa Bay.
“He was a couple of minutes away from having a shutout and a spectacular game. Unfortunately, we gave up a goal late, and they scored in overtime. But he does not deserve to be sitting and he should have another start.”
