“I felt like I was going to be in. As a series progresses, I usually feel better, more in a rhythm. I don’t really see too much reason to panic quite yet,” said the Oilers’ goaltender, Stuart Skinner, confidently, despite not being able to show his prowess on ice recently. Following the Game 2 and 3 defeats against the Florida Panthers, the goalie was asked to step off the ice while giving away five goals to the opponents during the 6-1 loss.

When asked about the Edmonton Oilers’ goaltending position ahead of Game 4, head coach Kris Knoblauch couldn’t make a final decision until he made the change after the first period when the Panthers took the lead 3-0. Calvin Pickard replaced Skinner shortly, and Edmonton etched its name in the SCF history for the first time by becoming the only team to break the flawless 37-0 record after trailing by 3 or more goals at the end of the first period.

After the crucial 5-4 win against the Panthers in Game 4, Kris Knoblauch opened up about his decision during the post-game interview. “Our team was flat. It was, uh, you know, we didn’t give him many opportunities. Had, again, taken three penalties in the first period—uh, two high-stickings, which I’m hating. But, um, you know, unfortunate. We needed to change things up, and, um, you know, the change was great,” he stated.

While Knoblauch’s focus on changing the positions solely lay in the purpose of bringing a much-needed win for the Oilers, Pickard served exactly what the HC demanded after replacing Stuart Skinner. With 22 saves made, he not only helped the team claim its OT win against Florida but also made the outstanding stop at 6:48 of the overtime period when the Panthers’ forward Sam Bennett tried to score a big one. “The way he played—Picks made some really big saves. You know, I don’t think there were many shots in the second period, but there were a couple really good quality ones that he came up big with,” Knoblauch later admitted.

Even in Game 3 of the Final series, Pickard entered during the third period of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday with eight goals against and a .892 save percentage. The Panthers, however, didn’t lose their grip and Brad Marchand scored one more to end the night on a thrilling note. Fast forward to this day the Oilers have bounced back, as they needed to, and evened the series at 2-2 before the upcoming clashes against the Cats. And while Knoblauch concludes his praise for Pickard by stating, “And, you know, it was great to see him make the saves when we needed them.” But there is someone else who had achieved a milestone the same night.

Stuart Skinner becomes “Mr. Game 4” after achieving a playoff milestone!

While Skinner got replaced by Pickard, the crowd wanted the former. “We want Skinner,” David Pagnotta on X captured the emotions of the fans cheering for the starting goalie amidst the Game 4 clash-up. Because it was a moment when Skinner just extended his undefeated streak to 6-0 in the Game 4 appearances of the playoff series despite being pulled off the ice mid-game. While this marked his personal milestone, the achievement proved to have broken the record of the Panthers’ coach, Paul Maurice.

Maurice, who had the perfect record of 31-0 while his team was tied 2-2 in a playoff series, got the record broken when the Panthers lost with the Oilers and Skinner, collectively adding to it. Despite the current struggle in his playoff games, “Mr. Game 4” as he is playfully known, proved his prowess by boasting a 6-0 record in the Game 4s.

His 1.26 goals-against average (GAA) and .955 save percentage aren’t just mere numbers but accolades that earned him a great milestone despite losing his chance to play in the Finals till the end. The Oilers, with hopes of keeping their hopes alive for the Stanley Cup, now mark their way ahead in the series with two milestones achieved alongside a strong comeback.