The Edmonton Oilers have flipped the script after a slow start to the season. Riding a strong stretch of play, they now sit atop the Pacific Division with a 20-14-6 record and have won nine of their last 13 games.
Their latest boost came Monday night with a 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, and Calvin Pickard was right at the center of it.
Calvin Pickard Shines as Edmonton Oilers’ Goaltending Picture Gets Crowded
With plenty of uncertainty surrounding Edmonton’s crease in recent weeks, Pickard delivered a performance that was impossible to ignore. He stopped 41 shots against the Jets, including nine saves while the Oilers were shorthanded, helping the penalty kill go a perfect 3-for-3 in a gritty road win.
Pickard has found himself under even more scrutiny as Edmonton’s goaltending picture continues to shift. Earlier this month, the Oilers shook things up by trading Stuart Skinner to Pittsburgh in exchange for Tristan Jarry. The deal also saw Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick head to the Penguins. Edmonton picked up forward Samuel Poulin in return.
Jarry made an immediate impact after arriving in Edmonton. He opened his Oilers tenure with three straight wins. That run came to a stop when he suffered a lower-body injury during a December 18 victory over Boston. The setback landed him on injured reserve and prompted the Oilers to call up Connor Ingram from Bakersfield, who has responded well with a 2-1 record in his three starts.
With Jarry expected back and Ingram in the mix, it appeared Pickard could be pushed to the margins. Instead, he answered with one of his best outings of the season. “Obviously, there’s some time between starts here, and you want to get into it, but I felt good. I felt good in practice, and I’m confident,” Pickard said. “This is my third year here. I’m confident behind the group and just trying to do my job.”
The win was especially meaningful, coming in Pickard’s hometown and marking his first victory since early December. He acknowledged that results hadn’t always reflected how he felt about his game over the past month, but Monday night finally brought some payoff.
Pickard also praised Winnipeg’s pressure, pointing out, “They threw a lot of pucks at the net, they had some good tips. Their ‘D’ threw a lot of pucks there, but we did a pretty good job… If we’re giving up shots from the outside, that’s fine, and take the sticks away. So, it was good.”
With a performance like this, Pickard made it clear he’s not content being an afterthought in Edmonton’s goaltending plans.
