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The Big Story of the Stanley Cup Finals is Legendary Former Flyer Calvin Pickard
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Today in shitposting, we shout out Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard, who entered for Stuart Skinner in Game 4 and saved 22 of 23 shots en route to a 5-4 overtime win against the Panthers:
If you were not paying attention to the early playoff rounds, Pickard finished the LA Kings series for the Oilers. He started games 3, 4, 5, and 6, then got the nod in games one and two vs. Vegas. When Skinner was chased, he entered for mop up duty in game three against Florida, then logged 51 minutes in game four on Thursday night.
Yes, this is the same Calvin Pickard who played for the Flyers in 2018. He was a waiver claim who joined the group of Carter Hart, Brian Elliott, Anthony Stolarz, and Michal Neuvirth. Cam Talbot, Alex Lyon, and Mike McKenna even started games that season. Pickard played 11 times and finished with an .863 save percentage and .401 goals against average. He was waived in November and found his way to Arizona, where he played only six times the rest of the year.
From there, he signed with Detroit as a free agent, spending time with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. That led to a two-way deal with Edmonton in which he started with their minor league team in Bakersfield, then worked his way up to the NHL level again as Skinner’s backup, and here we are now.
It’s funny how a 33-year-old journeyman has found himself in the spotlight as we watch one of the most competitive Stanley Cup Finals in recent history. This guy was all over the place in Philly. There was one game where he allowed four goals on six shots and got yanked. That was less than 24 hours after a 31-save shutout against the Rangers. Now he’s the main reason why the Oilers are level with the Panthers at 2-2. Can you believe it?! <Tom McGinnis voice> Great story, and of course there’s a Flyers angle. The guy was here for a cup of coffee and yet you watch that game last night and see former Flyers goaltenders dueling. What a world we’re living in.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com