Friday’s game was the start of a crucial stretch in the Edmonton Oilers’ schedule, with a league high five games over the final week of the regular season. That started with the game against the Arizona Coyotes to start the weekend. The Coyotes organization had been through a turbulent week, with news of their pending relocation being leaked earlier before it was officially told to the team prior to the game. With a more important game against the Vancouver Canucks to come on Saturday night, Kris Knoblauch went with Calvin Pickard Friday, keeping Stuart Skinner for the key match up. André Tourigny continued his rotation, with Karel Vejmelka between the pipes after Connor Ingram’s overtime win in Vancouver on Wednesday.
The Coyotes open up the scoring
Michael Kesselring passes off to Matias Maccelli on the wing, with Pickard making an adjustment. He’s late setting his feet, so when the puck is one touched across the ice to Jack McBain, Pickard is behind the play. He has a counter rotation before trying to lay out into a slide. He never gets his lead pad sealed to the ice, which actually results in his skate digging in, causing him to stop half way on his push and actually fall forward and have the puck go off his mask on what would otherwise hit his crest. The rebound pops out to Josh Doan in the slot, which allows Pickard to recover to his feet, but he is behind traffic and in a stance that is entirely a bend from the waist with almost perfectly straight legs. This forces his first move to be down, meaning he can’t adjust to the middle and ends up opening up with his reach to his blocker side.
Edmonton ties the game
Evander Kane rounds the net and just throws it to the crease with a back hand. Vejmelka is able to drop and make the first save, while grabbing an edge to reset to the rebound. Adam Henrique recovers the puck, and is able to put it through a five hole that is not sealed despite Vejmelka already being in position.
Cooley with his 20th of the season
The puck goes across to Sean Durzi walking in, with Pickard not having a strong push but is able to set as the shot is being taken. He does a decent job to close on this puck, but isn’t able to direct the shot at his blocker into a manageable spot. The puck goes out front where Logan Cooley is able to redirect it back towards the net. As Pickard is recovering, there’s a large counter rotation with his gloves, on an angle that is eventually taking him back to far post and not square with the new angle. As the puck approaches, he reaches out to his blocker side with his pad, which opens the five hole for the goal that would have stayed out had he just pushed to the puck position.
Edmonton ties it again
After a cycle down low, Warren Foegele throws it up to the point for Darnell Nurse. Both Coyotes’ defencemen were behind the net, with Dylan Guenther also sinking low. As they recover to their proper positions, all three skate through the shooting lane during the release and shot. Additionally, J.J. Moser skates through Vejmelka’s stick, pulling his blocker out of position. The shot goes right through that vacated space, and doesn’t give Vejmelka much of a shot.
Arizona wins in OT
The Oilers have three guys on the ice who aren’t the fleetest of foot against the Coyotes’ young fast lineup. Maccelli gets the puck at the point and is able to cross over on Henrique who is sagging to prevent the net drive. Pickard takes big shuffles following the puck across, and sets when Maccelli starts to load his shot. This early set and the lack of smaller adjustments leave him square to Maccelli’s body and flat on angle. From the puck perspective, this sinks his glove side back into the net, leaving more space to shoot at. Additionally, Pickard’s unorthodox stance forces him to drop before reacting, which leaves his glove dropping lower before trying to chase blind back to the top of the net.
Summary
Both goalies had decent enough games on the night. Vejmelka was able to handle most of what came his way, although the Oilers did not generate a ton of quality looks on Friday night. Calvin Pickard was playing outside the box all night. There were many occasions where he was able to make the saves and look good doing it as a result, but these fundamental technical mistakes also cost him on all three goals. Skinner will start tomorrow against the Canucks in a game that will decide the Pacific Division, with Pickard likely seeing action twice next week.
