Oilers Coach's 'Unfortunate' Message About Stuart Skinner Decision

“It’s unfortunate for Stu to be pulled there,”  Knoblauch said after the game. “Our team was flat. We needed to change things up and it was great the way [Pickard] played. He made some really big saves."

"I didn’t think there was many shots in the second period, but there was a couple of really good quality ones that he came up with."

Knoblauch didn’t commit to a starter for Game 5, but judging by his decisions and the outcome of the back-to-back benchings of Skinner, perhaps there's not even a need for that.

“As the game went on, the one (save) in overtime, (Pickard) got his glove on it just enough to keep that from going in, and it was great to see him make the saves when we needed them,” Knoblauch said.

Pickard stopped 22 of 23 shots in relief, including a critical overtime save on Sam Bennett that clipped the crossbar after a glove deflection.

“I kind of read it pretty well,” Pickard said of the save. “Then I heard the crowd oohing and aahing and it was a good bounce.”

Leon Draisaitl, who scored the overtime winner shortly after that stop, credited Pickard directly for the victory after the game.

“He’s coming in, he’s cold and it’s not easy," Draisaitl said. "He makes those stops at the key moments that we really need them. He’s been nothing but spectacular for us.”

Pickard is 7–0 this postseason and is now the clear frontrunner to start Game 5. Skinner, meanwhile, has now allowed 13 goals in the past three games and was visibly frustrated after his second early exit.

Game 5 is Saturday in Edmonton, as the Oilers were able to turn the series into a best-of-three with two games at home, assuming the finals reach the Game 7 finale.