Connor McDavid and Shea Theodore (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/1d20250d-1201-4fe8-96c8-bfc6031d71ba.jpeg] Connor McDavid and Shea Theodore (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images) Connor McDavid hasn’t forgotten that the Vegas Golden Knights ended the Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup hopes in 2023. “We owe Vegas [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights] a good series,” he told Sportsnet’s Gene Principe [https://x.com/Sportsnet/status/1918175012307009698] just minutes after the Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] eliminated the Los Angeles Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] on Thursday, setting up the second-round rematch. Two years ago, with the series tied 1-1, the Golden Knights turned to Adin Hill when Laurent Brossoit was injured in the first period of Game 3. They won that game 5-1 on the road, finished out the series in six and went on to capture the Stanley Cup. Hill was solid in his 16 appearances that year, finishing at a .932 save percentage, 2.17 goals-against and 7.7 goals saved above expected [https://moneypuck.com/goalies.htm]. In Round 1 this year, the 28-year-old gave up 17 goals in six games to the Wild. He’ll start the series against Edmonton with an .880 save percentage and minus-2.0 goals saved above expected, per [https://moneypuck.com/goalies.htm]moneypuck.com [http://moneypuck.com]. The Oilers’ path to the second round cleared after a goaltending switch of their own. After helping to save Edmonton’s season with a two-game cameo against the Vancouver Canucks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks] while Stuart Skinner was struggling last year, Calvin Pickard took the net [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/hes-overcome-so-much-journeyman-calvin-pickard-answers-the-call-as-oilers-eliminate-kings-again] with his team in an early 0-2 hole and ran with it. His .893 save percentage and minus-0.9 goals saved above expected may not be dazzling. But he made the saves that Edmonton needed, his numbers are better than Hill’s this spring, and it’s hard to argue with a 4-0 record. Skinner may return at some point, but McDavid has been effusive in his support for Pickard. “He’s a guy who’s just been a battler his whole career,” he told Principe. “Couldn’t be a better guy. We love playing for him. We love battling for him. Does a great job, giving us a chance.” McDavid and Pickard first joined forces nearly a decade ago, winning gold with Team Canada at the 2016 World Championship in Russia. Pickard served as Cam Talbot’s backup, getting into two games, then earned silver when he returned as the starter in 2017. After playing 50 games with the Colorado Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche] in 2016-17, Pickard got just 30 NHL games over the next five seasons, with four different teams. But after joining the Oilers organization, he saw 23 games of action in 2023-24 and 36 this season, for a regular-season record of 51-34-17 and a .903 save percentage as an Oiler. 'He's Overcome So Much': Journeyman Calvin Pickard Answers The Call As Oilers Eliminate Kings Again [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/560d9cfd-6a68-4edb-ab05-4f25161949a0.jpeg] 'He's Overcome So Much': Journeyman Calvin Pickard Answers The Call As Oilers Eliminate Kings Again In 2017, Calvin Pickard was known as the prototypical journeyman goaltender who was traded by the Vegas Golden Knights without ever playing a game for them as their first expansion draft pick. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/hes-overcome-so-much-journeyman-calvin-pickard-answers-the-call-as-oilers-eliminate-kings-again] Going into Round 2, Pickard has a legitimate chance to outduel Hill. He’ll have to do it behind a defense that isn’t as pedigreed as the Golden Knights’ but is showing some promising signs. Vegas is healthy on the back end and has made only one change from its Cup-winning blueline from 2023: Noah Hanifin replaced Alec Martinez. With Mattias Ekholm still sidelined and potentially unavailable for all of Round 2 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/new-oilers-defenders-cant-replace-ekholm], the Oilers leaned hard on Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak in Round 1. But give credit to Jake Walman and John Klingberg. After Klingberg entered the series in Game 2, the pair controlled over 71 percent of expected goals [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/pairings.php?fromseason=20242025&thruseason=20242025&stype=3&sit=5v5&score=all&rate=n&team=EDM&loc=B&toi=0&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=410] during their shifts and did not get scored on at 5-on-5 against L.A. In the regular season, the Golden Knights averaged 3.34 goals per game, although that slipped to 3.00 against the Wild. They can get scoring from throughout their lineup, so Edmonton will need Walman and Klingberg to continue to deliver those strong shut-down minutes. After finishing with 4.5 goals a game against Los Angeles, the Oilers must prioritize even-strength scoring again in Round 2. To their credit, they got five power-play goals on just 13 chances over six games against a Kings penalty kill that was eighth-best in the league in the regular season. Vegas ranked 26th. But the Golden Knights were the NHL’s least-penalized team during the regular season and also gave Minnesota [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild] just 13 power plays over six games in Round 1. Vegas enjoyed 18 power plays against the Wild but scored five goals and gave up one shorty. So their net power-play impact was lower than Edmonton’s, despite more opportunities. The season series between the Oilers and the Golden Knights was dead even this year. All four games ended in regulation, with each side winning once at home and once on the road. All time, Edmonton is 15-9-2 against Vegas in the regular season. The Oilers and Golden Knights series will kick off on Tuesday [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-playoffs-2025-second-round-schedule-dates-times-where-to-watch] at 9:30 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Arena. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
