“It’s nice we’ve got a nice tandem, that they’re [Stuart Skinner & Calvin Pickard] going back and forth, and each one has been really solid for us,” said Kris Knoblauch ahead of Game 5. The Oilers coach wasn’t wrong. After Skinner struggled in the first two games of the postseason against the LA Kings, Pickard came to the Oilers’ rescue. Later, when Pickard picked up an injury against the Golden Knights, it was Skinner’s time to shine. And he did. For a moment, it seemed like this ‘back-and-forth’ would solve the Oilers’ defensive woes in the Finals as well. But a disastrous Game 5 put a question mark on that, leaving very little time for the Oilers to get their house in order.
The Panthers put four (the fifth was an empty-netter) past Calvin Pickard in Game 5 at Rogers Place. It marked his first loss in this postseason. But more importantly, it put the Edmonton Oilers just one loss away from reliving last year’s heartbreak. But even now, when quick and convincing decisions are the order of the day, there’s still no official word on which goalie will get the nod for the all-important Game 6.
Knoblauch addressed the media virtually on June 15 after the loss while his team prepared to travel to Florida. When asked about the decision regarding Pickard and Stuart Skinner, the head coach said, “That’s a conversation with the staff, obviously our goaltending coach, Dustin Schwartz, but with all assistance, the general manager and kind of weigh in how everyone feels and what’s best moving forward. It’s not an easy decision.” Because both the goalies hold pretty similar records. “We’ve shown that they can play extremely well, win hockey games, and we feel that no matter who we choose, they can win the game,” he further stated. While the Oilers didn’t benefit much from the Goalie change decision, Kris Knoblauch praised Pickard for his efforts.
NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Stanley Cup Final-Florida Panthers at Edmonton Oilers Jun 14, 2025 Edmonton, Alberta, CAN Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard 30 defends against Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell 15 during the third period in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Edmonton Rogers Place Alberta CAN, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xSergeixBelskix 20250614_ams_bb9_0106
“From what I saw, I think Picks didn’t have much chance on those goals — breakaways, shots through screens, slot shots,” he said as he reflected on Game 5. While the big goalie change ahead of the game did not bring the Oilers any positive results, Knoblauch wasn’t too disappointed with Pickard: “There’s nothing saying that it was a poor performance.”
Pickard did stand out with his performance during the 5-4 Game 4 win in Florida after making 22 saves for Edmonton. His start in the second period altered the narratives for the Oilers, who seemed to have lost the plot after Stuart Skinner conceded three goals in the first period. However, while those three goals would be counted in the mustachioed Canadian’s GA, he was hardly the only one at fault.
What started the three-goal barrage was a pair of overlapping penalties given cheaply away by Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse, which led Matthew Tkachuk to open the scoring just four seconds into the 5-on-3 power play. Penalties like that have been a recurring issue plaguing the Oilers. So, Kris Knoblauch also had to address that.
Kris Knoblauch gets honest about the penalty issue of the Oilers
During the Game 3 loss against the Panthers, the Oilers faced 21 penalties, adding up to a whopping 85 minutes. In fact, Evander Kane had more penalty minutes (16) in that game than he had had in his previous 17 playoff games combined (14). And that’s not the only way, other than the 6-1 blowout, that they embarrassed themselves.
Defenseman Jake Walman was fined for two separate incidents—for roughing Matthew Tkachuk and for, get this, spraying water toward the Florida bench. However, after the recent loss, Knoblauch stated, “Definitely we cleaned up the penalty issue. I think that has been a big story throughout the series. Last night that wasn’t,” in the recent media interaction.
Knoblauch also talked about how the Oilers need to have better starts than they have had till now. “I think also capitalizing early would be something that would be very good for us. I know numerous starts of games we’ve had quality chances very early in the games.” So far in the series, the Panthers have outscored the Oilers 11-4 in the first period. In fact, Connor McDavid has only one goal to show for the 19 shots he has taken on Bobrovsky so far in the series. So yeah, there’s more than just the goaltending issue that needs attention. And the Oilers will have to address them to make sure that the Final returns to Rogers Place for Game 7.
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