Calvin Pickard & Stuart Skinner (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)EDMONTON – “Ride the hot hand.”
This sports adage is the most sound advice you can come across. Especially so, when it’s the playoffs.
The Edmonton Oilers know a thing or two about the “hot hand.” Sometimes it’s a forward who can’t stop scoring points, or a defender who turns every play he touches into highlight reel gold.
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And other times it’s a solid goaltender.
The Oilers are comfortable coming out with Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard between the pipes. However, the coach’s true feelings are revealed by who they put out on the ice. And it looks like they know who will start Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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Monday morning’s practice seemingly reveals their starting goalie for Round 2. As Ryan Rishaug reported on X, Pickard is in the starter's net at practice.
This shouldn’t surprise anyone.
Yesterday, speculation arose that Skinner might be named the starter for Game 1. This came because he was in the net reserved for the starting goaltender’s routine. However, Monday morning, this changed.
It’s possible that head coach Kris Knoblauch is playing psychological chess with the opposition. After all, it is the playoffs.
Considering the praise that the players and coach have heaped on Pickard after his first-round performance, it would be a shocking decision to not have him be the starting goaltender for Game 1 against the Golden Knights.
Regardless of whether Knoblauch names a starter after practice on Monday or waits until warm-ups on Tuesday night to reveal who gets the nod, it’s hard not to wish it were Pickard.
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