“Thank god” “Oilers in 6”: NHL fans react as Edmonton plays Calvin Pickard card for Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 against Panthers

The Edmonton Oilers will make a goalie change for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on Saturday.

Calvin Pickard will start, with the series is back at Edmonton tied 2-2. He replaced Stuart Skinner in Game 4 on Thursday after the Oilers fell behind early and were outshot 17-7 in the first period. Pickard came in at the start of the second and helped the team win 5-4 in overtime by stopping 22 of 23 shots.

Pickard has played well in this year’s playoffs, with a 7-0 record, a 2.69 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage. Skinner, who started the first four games of the final, has a 7-6 record and has allowed 16 goals in the series. Edmonton has rotated both goalies during the playoffs, using Pickard early, followed by Skinner.

Fans shared their thoughts when B/R Open Ice posted the news on X.

"Calvin Pickard is in-net to start Game 5" B/R Open Ice tweeted on Saturday.

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Some were happy that Pickard will get the chance to start.

“Thank god,” a fan wrote.

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“Oilers in 6,” another fan said.

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"I thought Skinner was unbeatable in games 4-7?" one fan said.

Here are more fan reactions.

"Well, it’s a lock, for sure will improve to 8-0, and remain very healthy the whole rest of the series," a fan said.

"If they want to win the cup they made the right choice. Pickard is a little bit better than Skinner, and the Oilers play better D in front of Pickard," another fan commented.

"No one is surprised. He played out of his mind. Skinner did too because without some of his saves it would have been a 6-0 1st period," a one fan wrote.

The Oilers are hoping this change will help them take the lead in the series.

Oilers coach praised both Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner

Calvin Pickard replaced Stuart Skinner after the first period of Game 4 on Thursday, with the Oilers trailing 0-3. Pickard made 22 saves and allowed just one goal to help Edmonton's comeback and won the game in overtime.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said both goalies have helped the team.

"Both goalies have been really good for us to get here," Knoblauch said after the game, via NHL.com.

Pickard also played late in Game 3, making seven saves. Before that, he had not played since May 8, when he suffered a lower-body injury.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez