EDMONTON – All you need is a chance.

In hockey, you need your goaltender to give you a chance to win on most nights.

For the Edmonton Oilers, they decided to stick with the tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard this season. For the most part, it’s worked out.

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The Oilers are in third place in the Pacific Division and poised to face the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs (yet again).

Skinner has not been available to the Oilers for just over a week and Pickard has picked up the slack. Despite calling up top farm-hand Olivier Rodrigue, the Oilers have heavily leaned on Pickard.

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He has started four straight games. Pickard has mustered up a 3-1 record in tandem with save percentages of .828, .929, .909, and .931 in those games.

But now, he has achieved something this season that he hasn’t yet in his career. With Thursday night’s 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, Pickard has recorded his 20th win of the year.

Last season, Pickard only played 20 games, mustering up a record of 12-7-1, along with a 2.45 goals against average (GAA), a .909 save percentage (SV%), and one shutout. This year, he’s played in 32 games, boasting a 20-8-1 record, a 2.66 GAA, and a .901 SV%.

His 32 games played are the highest of his career since his 50-game season with the Colorado Avalanche back in 2016-17. Pickard only won 15 games that year, as it was a rebuilding season for the (now) powerhouse Avs.

Pickard is giving the Oilers a chance to win every night, and you can’t ask more than that from your backup goaltender.

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