Article content
This in from Tony Brar of Oilers media: “Calvin Pickard is in the starter’s net this morning. Will start vs. Dallas.”
Article content
My take
1. Excellent news. The fact is that Stuart Skinner is in the midst of a mini-slump just now while Calvin Pickard is riding high jut now. Why not go with the hot hand? Pickard also helped the Oilers beat Dallas the last time the two teams played in February.
Article content
2. In his last five games, Skinner has a .892 save percentage. In his last seven games, Pickard has a .933 save percentage. This is all part of the normal ups and downs that goalies go through in a season.
3. Since the 2021-22 season, Skinner has had six hot streaks of five or more games and five slumps of five or more games. Jack Campbell, including his 2021-22 season in Toronto, has had two hot streaks and four slumps at the NHL level. After a terrible start to his AHL stint this year, Campbell has been outstanding in Bakersfield.
4. Pickard? He’s been mostly steady since his arrival in Edmonton. His longest streak of games with a sub-.900 save percentage was three straight in February.
In eight of his 18 appearances he’s had a below. 900 save percentage.
Skinner has been below .900 in 22 out of his 54 games. But he also had the longest hot streak of an Oilers goalie the last two years, 22 games from mid-November to February with a .934 save percentage.
5. One other consideration here, and it’s a big one. Skinner has already played in 54 games. The Oilers will close out the season with six games in nine days. Edmonton needs a rested Skinner heading into the playoffs. They’re not going to get that if he keeps playing every single big game so it makes sense to split the games down the stretch.
Article content
The Oilers are now doing a great job with Skinner’s load management. This will be Pickard’s seventh start in the last 16 games. The last time Skinner played more than two in a row was over a month ago.
6. Finally, if the Oilers are going to go deep into the playoffs, they’re almost certainly going to have to give Pickard a start here and there. It’s a stretch to ask Skinner to play every single game. It’s good that Pickard should face some stiff competition against top teams just now to prepare him for the test to come.
7. Brar also posted the expected line-up against Dallas:
RNH – McDavid – Hyman
Henrique – Draisaitl – Perry
Kane – McLeod – Foegele
Janmark – Carrick – Brown
Ryan
Ekholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Ceci
Kulak – Desharnais
Stecher
No surprises here. I’m not a big fan of Perry on the second line, not because I don’t like Perry’s game. I do. It’s that to do his best work Draisaitl needs to another speedy forward at his side, someone to charge in, pull defenders with him, and make time and space for Draisaitl. For all his merit, that player is not Perry, nor is it sure-handed Adam Henrique.
Warren Foegele, Ryan McLeod or Connor Brown are the best bets for that kind of role. Indeed, not that he’s scoring some, I would like to see Brown get a shot on a line with Draisaitl and Henrique. Test drive it for a game or two. Make sense?
At the Cult of Hockey
McCURDY: One of the NHL’s best? Yes, Oilers d-man is there
STAPLES: Player grades from weird OT loss at St. Louis
Share this article in your social network
