Head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed the transfer after the morning skate.
“I feel he is made some large saves once we’ve wanted it, particularly within the second half of the sport,” he mentioned of the 33-year-old goalie. “I like that nothing’s fazed him and he is given us actually stable goaltending at key occasions.”
Pickard changed Stuart Skinner in objective halfway via Recreation 2, then backstopped the Oilers to wins in Video games 3 and 4 to tie the best-of-seven first-round collection at 2-2.
The six-foot-one, 206-pound netminder from Moncton, N.B., has a .889 save share with a 3.29 goals-against common throughout the three video games he is performed this post-season.
Pickard was 22-10-1 in regular-season play via the 2024-25 marketing campaign with a .900 save share and a 2.71 goals-against common.
Skinner, 26, was Edmonton’s starter for a lot of the common season and put up a 26-18-4 report with a .896 save share, a 2.81 goals-against common and three shutouts.
He gave up 11 objectives on 58 pictures throughout the primary two video games of the collection.
The Oilers head into Tuesday’s matchup averaging 4.75 objectives towards per sport, the best among the many 16 playoff groups. The Kings are second at 4.50.
The excessive objective totals are more likely to dwindle because the collection goes on, Knoblauch mentioned.
“It might be fairly onerous to suppose it will keep as excessive because it has been over these 4 video games,” he mentioned. “Particularly with two groups that take a whole lot of satisfaction of their defensive play, in conserving the puck out. So I would think about that there will be some 1-0, 2-1 hockey video games in a while.”
