Pickard saves the day for Oilers in a backup role in 5-4 OT win over Panthers in Game 4 of Cup Final

A flat and undisciplined start by the Edmonton Oilers left coach Kris Knoblauch no choice but to turn to Plan B — as in backup goalie Calvin Pickard — a mere 20 minutes into Game 4 of their Stanley Cup Final series against Florida.

With no disrespect to starter Stuart Skinner, who had little help in allowing three goals on 17 shots, it was the wakeup call the Oilers needed on Thursday night.

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Pickard stopped 22 of 23 shots and the Oilers overcame a 3-0 first-period deficit in a 5-4 overtime win over the Florida Panthers to even their Stanley Cup Final series at 2.

“Unfortunate for Stu to be pulled there. Didn’t give him many opportunities,” Knoblauch said. “We needed to change things up, and the change was great the way he played.”

Pickard improved to 7-0 this postseason and has put himself in position to take over the starting duties for Game 5 with the series returning to Edmonton on Saturday.

“I felt for him today,” Pickard said of Skinner, who was also yanked in Game 3 after allowing five goals on 23 shots in an eventual 6-1 loss. “He came ready to play today, made some big saves early. We just didn’t have it as a team early.”

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That changed when the Oilers responded by scoring three times in outshooting the Panthers 17-10 in the second period in what amounted to a near historic comeback.

Edmonton became the first road team to rally from down three to win a Cup final outing since the Montreal Canadiens against the Seattle Metropolitans in 1919. Only six teams have come back from down three in the final in NHL history, the last time in 2006.

Though Pickard allowed Sam Reinhart’s bad-angle goal to force overtime with 20 seconds left in regulation, the 10-year journeyman enjoyed numerous standout moments before Leon Draisaitl sealed the win 11:18 into the extra frame with his NHL single-postseason record fourth overtime goal.

No save was bigger than the one Pickard made some seven minutes into overtime, when Sam Bennett’s shot from the slot caught the top of the goalie’s glove and caromed off the crossbar.

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“I felt it hit my glove. I looked in my glove and didn’t see it in there. And then I heard some big cheers and I’m like, ‘Oh, this couldn’t have gone in,’” Pickard said, not knowing what happened until he watched the replay on the scoreboard. “Yeah, good save and good bounce, too.”

Another key save came 12 minutes into the second period on the third shot Pickard faced and with Edmonton trailing 3-1.

Jake Walman’s giveaway in his own end, led to Florida’s Anton Lundell driving in alone only to have Pickard kick out his right pad to make the initial stop and then smother the rebound.

“I think that save kind of got me going,” Pickard said.

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The same could apply to the Oilers, who responded with Darnell Nurse’s goal about 80 seconds later, and Vasily Podkolzin tying the game at 3 with 4:55 left in the period.

“It’s hard to describe the situation that he gets put in sometimes,” Draisaitl said of Pickard.

“He’s coming in, he’s cold. It’s not easy, and he makes those stops at the key moments that we really need them,” he added. “He’s been nothing but spectacular for us.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl