The Canucks and Oilers are taking different approaches to their lineups ahead of Thursday’s pivotal Game 5.
The Oilers are opting to stick with Calvin Pickard as their starting goalie after the journeyman netminder stopped 19 shots in Edmonton’s 3-2 victory on Tuesday.
“I thought he looked really comfortable the other day,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said after Thursday’s morning skate. “He just made some solid saves, played the puck really well. … He made all the right decisions and made some big saves for us throughout the night.”
Pickard also played the third period of the Oilers’ 4-3 loss in Game 3, replacing Stuart Skinner, who allowed four goals on 15 shots.
Skinner has a 2-1-0 record with a .793 save percentage and a 4.00 goals-against average in the series against Vancouver.
The Canucks, meanwhile, will juggle their …