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Pickard has funny moment with Oilers beat reporter after massive Game 5 win

Preston Hodgkinson
Preston Hodgkinson
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Apr 30 2025, 12:00 pm
Pickard has funny moment with Oilers beat reporter after massive Game 5 win
@EdmontonOilers/X

Calvin Pickard has breathed new life into the Edmonton Oilers.

The 33-year-old came into the postseason as a backup goaltender, but is now playing like a No. 1 netminder for this Edmonton squad. With the team down 2-0 early in the series, Pickard has won three straight to put the Oilers on the verge of advancing to the second round.

Pickard’s last two outings have been particularly excellent, stopping 38 of 41 shots in Game 4 and turning aside all but one of the 22 shots he faced Tuesday night in Los Angeles. He has done all this despite having only five career NHL playoff games under his belt.

Sportsnet’s Oilers beat reporter Mark Spector asked Pickard after the Game 5 victory if this situation feels surreal to be in, and the journeyman goaltender had fun with his response.

“You asked me the same question last year, I feel like,” Pickard said to laughter around the room. “I played a decent amount this year, it feels good getting your name called upon early.

“It’s a blessing for me, and I just wanna keep continuing to do what I can do and help the team win.”

 

Pickard is probably right that somebody asked him a similar question during last year’s playoff run. Back then, he was making his Stanley Cup Playoff debut at the ripe age of 32 as he suited up for three second-round games against the Vancouver Canucks.

Evander Kane was at the table with Pickard after the game, where he talked about how important he has been for the Oilers in this series.

“Age is just a number [for Pickard],” Kane said. “Picks has done a great job for us all year, staying ready, staying sharp. The moment never seems to be too big for him; they’re pressing at the end, and he’s standing solid in the crease.

“He’s come into this series and has been a big boost and has done an incredible job for us.”

It’s no secret that Pickard has become a very popular player not just inside the Oilers dressing room, but among the fanbase as well. There is something about a hardworking journeyman goalie finding his spot on a Stanley Cup contender that makes him the perfect type of player for the Edmonton crowd.

Pickard endeared himself a little more to fans in a post-game interview with TNT’s Paul Bissonnette, where he talked about L.A.’s infamous harmonica anthems. It turns out that the old ladies aren’t quite intimidating for the Oilers netminder.

“I feel like I’m giggling every time they come on. It’s hilarious, it’s good stuff,” Pickard said. “It was a secret weapon in Game 1 and Game 2, but I still got a chuckle out of it tonight.”

The Oilers now have a chance to eliminate the Kings at Rogers Place on Thursday night. Questions have swirled around the team’s goaltending, but after last night’s victory, everyone should know who to expect between the pipes.

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