“Twenty years ago, it was all about one goaltender, and then it started to change,” Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said, reflecting on the evolving role of goalies in the NHL. With the playoffs heating up and Stuart Skinner’s save percentages dipping below .900 for some of the league’s best netminders, the question looms: is splitting goaltending duties the future? For the Oilers, that question is more than theoretical—it’s their reality as they kick off Round 2 against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas with Calvin Pickard in net.

Stuart Skinner was the guy all season, starting 50 games to Pickard’s 31. But the playoffs have flipped the script. Skinner stumbled out of the gate, going 0-2 against the Kings in Round 1, with Edmonton’s defense hanging him out to dry. Enter Pickard, who stepped up and delivered, posting a perfect 4-0 record—the only goalie in the playoffs to do so— a 2.93 goals-against average and .893 save percentage. Now, Knoblauch’s stance on his No. 1 is clear but fluid: “Right now, I guess our Number 1 is the guy that gets the start, and that’s changing from game to game.”

Jason Gregor, host of The Jason Gregor Show, echoed this on X via @sports1440: “I know there will be a time when Stu (Skinner) is back in the net. Whether that is Game 2, Game 6, next round or later, I don’t know when. We have two goalies who can help us win games,” quoting Knoblauch. This flexibility highlights Edmonton’s depth in net, a luxury in a postseason where top goalies league-wide are struggling with save percentages dipping below .900.

Beyond the crease, the Oilers are firing on all cylinders. They’ve stuck with the same lineup for four straight wins—a first since December—and their physicality is shining through. Each line now boasts a gritty presence with players like Corey Perry, Evander Kane, Trent Frederic, and Vasily Podkolzin, ready to bang bodies against Vegas. Edmonton’s scoring depth is another weapon: 81.5% of their Round 1 goals came from players not named McDavid or Draisaitl, with 13 different skaters lighting the lamp, more than any team left in the playoffs.

Riding a four-game win streak and a strong 5-2 record in Vegas over recent seasons, the Oilers are poised to keep pushing, and they’ll have Pickard who’ll be looking to make his hard-earned opportunity count.

Stuart Skinner’s teammate’s path to playoff glory took its own sweet time

Calvin Pickard is proving that hard work and a bit of patience can lead to some pretty incredible moments in the NHL. Picture this: back in 2017, Pickard was the very first name called by the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft. Pretty cool, right? But then, things got tricky. On October 6, 2017, the same day Vegas played its first-ever regular-season game, Pickard was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. That season, he only saw action in one NHL game, spending most of his time grinding it out with Toronto’s AHL team.

This season, Pickard really stepped into the spotlight. When Skinner went down with a head injury on March 26, Pickard took the net for eight of Edmonton’s final 11 regular-season games. “I never stopped believing in myself, and if you’re not believing in yourself you’re not going to be very successful,” Pickard said. “I played some good hockey in those years since I played 50 games in Colorado and I was always building my game and my confidence to get back to this level.” And in the 36 games (31 starts) that he played in, he posted a 22-10-1 record with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. Talk about making the most of an opportunity.

Oh, and let’s not forget his 20-save performance in a 3-2 win against Vegas on April 1, 2025, without stars like Connor McDavid and Skinner. And he has a clear game plan ahead of what is going to be his fifth straight playoff start, “You have to be detailed and limit our mistakes because they’re a well-rounded team with basically everything. It’s going to be an exciting challenge.”