“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 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. 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.
“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,” Knoblauch on his goalie situation. @sports1440
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) May 6, 2025
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