In first playoff start, Calvin Pickard leads Oilers to win

May 15, 2024, 01:03 AM ET

EDMONTON, Alberta — Evan Bouchard scored the game-deciding goal with 38.1 seconds in regulation, making a winner of goaltender Calvin Pickard in his playoff starting debut, and the Edmonton Oilers edged the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series on Tuesday.

The victory leveled the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2, with Game 5 set for Thursday night in Vancouver.

Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring for the Oilers on a first-period power play and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added a tally late in the second period.

After replacing Stuart Skinner during Game 3, Pickard made 19 saves in his first postseason start, while Arturs Silovs stopped 27 of 30 shots for Vancouver.

“It was a tough bounce for sure. I guess both goals were tough bounces,” Pickard told SportsNet after the win, regarding the two tallies he allowed, both in the third period. “But it didn’t deflate us. … We weren’t playing for overtime (after the second goal). We were going right after it after that goal. So (Bouchard’s was) a great goal. And we’re back in it.”

The 32-year-old Pickard received plenty of standing ovations after saves Tuesday, adding to a dramatic week that began with him replacing Skinner, who allowed four goals on 15 shots in Edmonton’s Game 3 loss on Sunday.

“The guys made it easy on me,” Pickard said. “We had three big penalty kills in the first period, which was huge. I got some touches early, and I felt comfortable. So, it’s just one game, and we’re moving on to Vancouver.”

Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua had third-period goals for the Canucks, who lost their first road game of the postseason after no being able to solve Pickard after Bouchard’s tally.

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“Unbelievable,” Draisaitl said of Pickard’s performance. “What an awesome guy, what an awesome story. All year, he’s given us a chance to win. And every time he goes in there, it seems like he’s standing on his head.”

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Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/40149750/in-first-playoff-start-calvin-pickard-leads-oilers-win

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Publish date : 2024-05-15 06:21:00

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