Kris Knoblauch wasn’t sure which goalie to go ahead with. “Both goalies have been really good and key for us to getting here,” the head coach said, highlighting both Stuart Skinner’s and Calvin Pickard’s performances but without confirming his final decision about whom to start in Game 5, further sparking confusion among the fans and Oilers community.

The Edmonton Oilers bounced back during Game 4 of the final series by winning a thrilling 5-4 game against the Florida Panthers. Not only did it even the series for both teams, but it revived the Oilers’ fading hopes for their Stanley Cup dream. However, it came with a twist when, after the first period, Skinner was replaced by Pickard after giving the opponents a 3-0 lead already.

Kris Knoblauch explained that he had made the decision to shake things up as the Oilers had largely been “flat” in the first period. Thankfully for him, it worked just fine with Pickard saving everything except for the Sam Reinhart shot that came with less than 20 seconds left in regulation. “Picks comes in and makes some huge saves so it’s nice that we’ve got a nice tandem that they’re going back and forth. Each one of them has been really solid for us,” Knoblauch said later. Well, the back and forth has gone in Pickard’s favor this. And with that, the Oilers have signed themselves up for a record that can be traced back to their 1984 team.

Sportsnet Stats on X dropped the bombshell on X, highlighting Edmonton repeating its history since 1984. “Oilers look to become the first team to win the #StanleyCup when using 2 starting goalies in the final series since…..the Oilers in 1984 (Andy Moog & Grant Fuhr),” the post read.

It was against the New York Islanders during the 1984 final series when Oilers decided to change their goalie. But that was a tough blow! Grant Fuhr was in his top form and gave Edmonton a powerful edge during Game 1 while delivering what many considered the greatest goaltending performance in Oilers Stanley Cup Final history. But things took a harsh turn in Game 3 when Islanders forward Pat LaFontaine collided with Fuhr, injuring his shoulder and cutting short his postseason.

Despite the setback, Andy Moog stepped in and performed brilliantly, just as Fuhr did, while keeping the team’s championship hopes alive. However, coming back to the present day, things look different as Pickard, who had a spotless 7-0 record this postseason, got handed his first defeat, and with that exposed a bigger problem within the Oilers.

Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner are not the only problems for the Oilers

In all of the four games that Skinner started for the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals series, the Panthers scored at least two goals in the first period. But replacing Skinner hardly resolved the problem, considering two of the 4 goals that Calvin Pickard conceded came in the first period itself, courtesy of Brad Marchand, who registered yet another record, and Sam Bennett. But is only the goal-keeping at fault for the dire straits the Oilers find themselves in? Hardly so.

The Oilers went 0-for-3 on the power play inside the opening 20 minutes. What’s worse is that they had only 3 shots on goal in that period. But then again, poor offensive display in the opening period has been a mainstay for the Oilers this series. In five games, Calvin Pickard’s teammates have managed to register only 4 goals in the first period. The Panthers, on the other hand, have 11 to their name. In fact, before Game 5, McDavid had nothing to show for the 17 shot attempts he had taken in the series.

Yes, the series is still alive. Yes, the Oilers have had a 6-game comeback streak this postseason. But it’s the defending champions they are facing this time around. So Kris Knoblauch will have to find a way to shake things up across the board as the Oilers travel back to Miami for Game 6. Otherwise, chances are they won’t see a Game 7 this year.