Pickard makes the most of his latest opportunity

Goalie has earned backup spot with his reliable play, Robert Tychkowski writes.

Who would have guessed, when the season was crashing down on them in October and they couldn't keep the puck out of their net if you spotted them two sheets of plywood and a carpenter, that the Oilers would be standing pat on their goaltending?

Nobody, that's who.

But here we are, the trade deadline is just a few days away and the one area general manager Ken Holland doesn't feel a need to address is the crease.

Not only is Stuart Skinner back in premium form, but the guy they weren't sure they could count on as an insurance policy is giving them every reason to believe he's up for the job.

Calvin Pickard was supposed to be a temporary stop gap when he first came to Edmonton in early November, somebody to sit on the bench until Jack Campbell shook off the heebie-jeebies in Bakersfield.

Four months later he's still here, with eight wins in his last 10 starts and a .909 save percentage on a team that absolutely believes in him.

“He's come in and been a big part of the group,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid. “He's great for Stu, they get along really well and do a great job of lifting each other up and pushing each other to be better. That's all you can ask from your goalie duo.

“And Picks in his own right, his own game has been at a very high level for a long time.”

“He's been great,” added forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. “Every time he steps in we have so much confidence in him. He's really held us in some games and given us the opportunity to win.”

There was understandable doubt that a 31-year-old with 12 NHL starts in the four years before this season would be able to hold up his end of the bargain in such an important season. At best, he was an unknown and unproven quantity.

But the guy keeps playing well, winning games and bringing a positive vibe to the dressing room, which is about all you can ask from your backup.

“First of all, the most important thing is stopping the puck,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said after Pickard posted a 6-1 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday. “The other part is he's a great team guy, the players love him.”

Like everyone else last November, Pickard had no idea how long he was going to be an Oiler. All he knew is that he had to make the best of this chance because you never know when or if the next one is coming.

“When I came up I didn't really know what to expect,” he said. “You're kind of on a game-bygame basis because somebody is always trying to take your job. I was fortunate that when I came up the team was really turning it around and we've played some really good hockey since then.”

Pickard always believed he had it in him to be this kind of player. But sometimes belief and opportunity don't always line up. This time it did.

“I've played in this league before, I know I can play in it,” he said. “You're always looking for that opportunity and this was a great one for me. So far, so good.

“Over the course of my career I've had some good opportunities. Some have gone better than others. I just want to take it day by day. I like where my game is at but this is a what-have-youdone-for-me-lately business.”

The Oilers are a good place to be right now, so for somebody who's been waiting a long time for something like this, so you can rest assured he is savouring every day of it.