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Pickard excited to start for Oilers in pivotal Game 5 against Panthers
With the Stanley Cup final tied 2-2, the importance of Game 5 cannot be overstated. The Edmonton Oilers are going with Calvin Pickard in net for his first career start in a Stanley Cup final, and as Mark Masters writes, the veteran is excited for the opportunity.
By Mark Masters
Calvin Pickard will make his first career start in a Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night.
"It's exciting, good opportunity for me," the Edmonton Oilers goalie said ahead of Game 5 of the championship series, which is tied 2-2.
"It feels like another game for me. Getting the time in last game and not having much time to think about it, and not having much room for error, and then our team really battling back and getting the win, gives you some confidence. The building's going to be electric tonight. It's definitely going to be an exciting day."
Pickard stopped 22 of 23 shots to pick up an overtime win in relief on Thursday in Florida. In the process, he improved to 7-0 in this year's playoffs with an .896 save percentage.
"I guess you could look at today as the biggest game in my life, but the last game was the biggest game in my life until the next one," the 33-year-old said. "It's rinse and repeat for me."
Pickard, who is on his sixth NHL team and 13th team in professional hockey, will be making just his ninth career Stanley Cup playoffs start.
"It's been a great journey," the Moncton, N.B. native said. "I've been a lot of good places. Grateful that I had the chance to come to Edmonton a couple years ago, and this is what you play for. I'm excited."
Pickard replaced a struggling Stuart Skinner during the first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. He reeled off six straight wins before sustaining an injury in the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights. Skinner played well in his absence and then continued to hold the starting job after Pickard got healthy.
But after Skinner allowed three goals on 17 shots during a disastrous first period for the Oilers on Thursday, Kris Knoblauch decided to make a change. With Pickard between the pipes, Edmonton erased a 3-0 deficit.
The coach was asked about the decision to stick with Pickard on Saturday.
"It wasn't an easy call, because we got two good goaltenders," Knoblauch said. "The deciding factor for us is we won the previous game and Picks made a lot of big saves."
Pickard made 31 starts for the Oilers in the regular season, finishing with a .900 save percentage.
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Skinner usually starts warm-ups by stretching at the red line while facing the opposing team's zone. During this series, Panthers back-up goalie Vitek Vanecek started doing the same thing right in front of Skinner. During Game 4, Pickard approached Vanecek and said something.
"I was just doing my routine and then he [asked] if I want to go stretch with him," Vanecek said. "I said 'No, I'm good, I like this side' ... I'm just doing my routine."
How long has this been his routine?
"It's a new one," Vanecek said with a grin, "for this series."
Pickard isn't expecting any warm-up drama on Saturday night.
"I don't have much routine there," he said. "I'll be probably facing our end."
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Troy Stecher only played one shift after committing a costly turnover at the end of the first period on Thursday night. The Oilers defenceman was skating behind his net and trying to reverse a puck to Darnell Nurse, but fanned on the pass, which allowed the forechecking Carter Verhaeghe to set up Anton Lundell for a wide-open look in front.
"I felt fine," Stecher told TSN after the morning skate. "I actually felt I played OK. I made one mistake and it's in the back of the net. That's hockey and it's a new opportunity today."
What message did he get from the coaching staff after the game?
"Nothing."
Stecher skated beside Nurse on Saturday morning and will remain in the lineup for Game 5.
The message from Knoblauch?
"Stay true to yourself," the coach instructed. "Play your game. Don't change anything. All players make mistakes and it wasn't much of a mistake. But, yeah, we got a lot of trust in Stech. He's played a lot of good hockey for us and whether he's been in the lineup, not playing, or in the lineup and not playing like he was the other night, we know his game is very dependable and when we need him he's able to give us quality minutes and we're going to need that from him. He doesn't need to change anything because overall his game's been very solid."
Thursday's game was the first one for Stecher since May 27.
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The Oilers will make one lineup change on Saturday as forward Victor Arvidsson returns to the lineup.
"Here we got a fresh guy, who didn't play the previous game, our team has travelled, and we feel Victor is in a position to help us," said Knoblauch. "Throughout the playoffs he played really well."
Often there is a two-day break between games when teams have to travel between cities in the Stanley Cup Final, but in this instance the Oilers and Panthers will be getting right back to work after flying to Edmonton on Friday.
Kasperi Kapanen will be a healthy scratch for the Oilers despite setting up Jake Walman for Edmonton's fourth goal on Thursday. Earlier in the series, Kapanen revealed that his father, former NHL player Sami Kapanen, would be travelling to Edmonton in the hopes of watching his son play in Game 5.
After drawing into the Oilers lineup for Game 4, Jeff Skinner will remain in and get a chance to play in front of the electric Edmonton atmosphere.
"My first time," the 33-year-old said with a smile. "It will be fun. I've seen it throughout this run, and I think everyone says there's no other place like it. So, it will be fun to get out there and experience it."
Skinner's three previous playoff starts this season have come on the road.
The Panthers are not making any lineup changes, coach Paul Maurice confirmed.
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Connor Brown continued to skate beside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on Saturday morning. Brown was moved up to Edmonton's top line to start Game 4. McDavid, who is still looking for his first goal of the series, was asked to assess the line's play.
"It's been tight 5-on-5 for everybody," said McDavid. "I think our team as a whole, 5-on-5 I think we can find a way to do more, but it's a tight series. Two really good teams. There's going to be chances that go both ways. Obviously, we're trying."
McDavid has racked up six assists in the series, but only one has come in 5-on-5 play.
A reason why is the quality of the competition. McDavid is going up against Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov on most shifts.
Barkov has yet to produce a 5-on-5 point in the series. Is defending McDavid and Leon Draisaitl making it harder to get to his offensive game?
"It's tough to say," the Panthers captain admitted. "Obviously, you need to know those two guys, where they are on the ice. Of course you're trying to have your head on a swivel, but I think I could be better, for sure."
Barkov is a team-worst minus-three in the series. He has been on the ice for nine of Edmonton's 14 goals in the series.
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Evander Kane has taken a team-high five minor penalties in the Stanley Cup Final, including at least one for high sticking in each of the last three games. The Oilers winger was asked if it's hard to play the game he wants to play when he's getting sent to the box so often.
"I'm just not going to talk about it, because I don't know," Kane said. "We'll just get ready for Game 5 and see what happens out there. But, yeah, you want to play as hard as you possibly can. Big game tonight."
The Panthers have enjoyed seven power-play opportunities in the first period of the last two games, which has allowed Florida to get off to good starts.
But the Oilers see the mistakes, especially stick infractions, as correctable. This isn't a situation where the Panthers are goading them into penalties.
"You know what? I think they maybe get a little too much credit for how crazy they drive teams," Kane said. "I don't think it's Florida driving us crazy at all."
Kane pointed out that the rough stuff at the end of Game 3 is understandable because of the lopsided score but, in general, the Oilers like how composed they've been.
"We've done a great job of not letting them get in our head or really use that to [their] advantage," Kane added.
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The Panthers will be looking to bounce back after blowing a 3-0 lead on Thursday and missing out on a golden opportunity to take a stranglehold lead in the series.
"Itβs pretty impressive how this group just is so in the moment," said veteran winger Brad Marchand. "It obviously was a disappointing loss, but the page was turned pretty quick."
At the start of every series, the Panthers always adopt the mindset that it will go seven games, which they believe makes it easier to accept losses.
Edmonton also had a chance to grab a two-game lead in the series, but Marchand scored in double overtime of Game 2 in Edmonton. Three of the four games in this series have gone beyond regulation.
"I think this is one of the tightest series anyone will ever see," said Marchand, who is contesting his fourth Stanley Cup final. "Most exciting. Just the talent level and how close these two teams are and how back and forth the games have been ... We're all big fans of the game still and to have these two teams playing each other and playing the way they are and the games playing out the way that they have, it makes you realize why you love the game so much, but also why this trophy is the hardest to win."
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Lines at Oilers skate on Saturday:
Nugent-Hopkins - McDavid - Brown
Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Perry
Skinner - Henrique - Frederic
Kane - Janmark - Arvidsson
Kapanen, Ryan, Jones
Ekholm - Walman
Nurse - Stecher
Kulak - Bouchard
Klingberg, Emberson, Dineen
Pickard starts
Skinner