Calvin Pickard remains out with lower-body injury, won't play Game 4
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl might be the ones up front leading the charge for the Edmonton Oilers, but the story of their playoffs is taking place back in the crease.
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Calvin Pickard remains out day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will miss his second game in a row against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of their Western Conference semi-final series at Rogers Place on Monday (7:30 p.m., CBC, Sportsnet).
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And that's not good news for the team that has gone a perfect 6-0 with him in net since coming in to take over for Stuart Skinner following an 0-2 start to their post-season.
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'Calvin is day-to-day and he will not play (Monday),' Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said following team meetings Sunday, one day after falling 4-3 in Game 3.
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Skinner made 17 saves with a .850 save percentage and 3.00 goals-against average as the Golden Knights scored with one second left in the third period to trail the Oilers 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
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'I think Stuart made some really big saves, especially in the third period, he made a really good one, made some other ones early in the game on the penalty kill,' Knoblauch said. 'Like Game 1 and 2 early in the L.A. series, we just need to be better in front of him.'
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You know, like they have been in front of Pickard, who has yet to taste defeat as a starter in these playoffs, with a .888 save percentage and 2.84 goals-against average.
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Skinner, meanwhile, is 0-3 with a .817 save percentage and 5.36 goals-against average.
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And considering it's all been against the same opposition, it sure looks like the Oilers are playing better in front of one and not the other — intentionally or not.
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So, they have to be better, but don't necessarily want to change anything up? Sounds like it would just be easier for Pickard to get over whatever's been bothering him since the collision in the crease by Vegas forward Tomas Hertl had him shaking out his legs in Game 2.
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