Kris Knoblauch rips Edmonton's poor goaltending
Who will get the start tomorrow?
Long gone are the days of the Edmonton Oilers featuring future Hall of Fame goaltender Grant Fuhr between the pipes, or even 2006 postseason hero Dwayne Roloson or feisty but serviceable veteran Mike Smith.
Edmonton now features the combination of both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard in net, which will never challenge for the Jennings Trophy as the NHL's top goaltending duo but were good enough to get the job done for the Oilers during the regular season after a slow start.
But right now, the Oilers are facing some serious questions in net thanks to the struggling Skinner, who was replaced by Pickard for the 3rd period of last night's Game 3 against the Vancouver Canucks after surrendering four goals on 15 shots against. Through eight games in the postseason, Skinner's goals-against-average is now a pedestrian 3.23, along with an equally unimpressive .877 save percentage.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch now has a key decision to make for tomorrow night's Game 4 - either he goes back to Skinner and hopes that he gets his game back in order, or gives Pickard his first career postseason start in a critical situation.
Last night was the first time that Pickard ever saw action at the NHL level in the playoffs, and stopped all three shots that he faced.
Knoblaugh hasn't declared his starter for Tuesday night. But either way, as he puts it, they need more saves from whomever gets the nod in net.
“We need more saves. Tonight, obviously I felt like that with 'Picks' going in in the third period,” Knoblauch said postgame. “Tonight’s one that he would like to have back, and we’ll see what he’s got in the future, whether that’s Game 4 or Game 5 or whatever it is.
"But we’ll be seeing Stu again, and I have no doubt that he’ll respond and play well.”
Game 4 between the Oilers and Canucks will start at 9:30 PM EST from Edmonton's Rogers Place.
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