Oilers' coach not yet naming goalie for pivotal G6

FORT LAUERDALE, Fla. -- Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch declined to name either Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard as his starting goaltender for Tuesday night's Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, facing elimination against the Florida Panthers.

"Ultimately, it's who we feel is in the best position to win us a game. It about who's looking really good at that moment, and then we make our decision," Knoblauch said Monday after practice.

Pickard, a 33-year-old who has played for six NHL teams in 10 seasons, replaced Skinner as the Oilers' starter in Game 5, giving up four goals on 18 shots in a 5-2 loss in Edmonton. Knoblauch defended Pickard's effort in that game against high-danger chances from the Panthers.

"There's no fault at Calvin at all on any of those goals," he said.

Skinner lost the starting job after getting benched in Games 3 and 4 in Florida. He was pulled in the third period of their Game 3 blowout loss after giving up 5 goals on 23 shots. He was pulled after the first period of Game 4, having given up three goals on 17 shots.

Pickard ended up stopping 22 of 23 shots as the Oilers won in overtime to even the series at 2-2 and was given the start in Game 5.

Pickard won his first seven decisions in the playoffs for Edmonton, just the fourth goalie in Stanley Cup playoff history to win at least seven straight postseason decisions after not starting his team's opening playoff game. Pickard took over the starter's job for an ineffective Skinner in Game 3 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings. Skinner took the crease back in the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights after Pickard was injured.

Overall, Pickard is 7-1 with a .886 save percentage and a 2.85 goals-against average. Skinner is 7-6 with a .891 save percentage and a 2.99 goals-against average.

Knoblauch said he's consulted everyone in the Oilers organization on goaltending decisions, from general manager Stan Bowman to assistant coach Paul Coffey to goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz to some of Edmonton's players. He takes a goalie's workload into account as well as other factors -- including the fact that Skinner was unable to finish either of his previous games at Florida in this series.

"I'll give that some consideration. He got pulled, but I don't put any of that blame on him," said Knoblauch. "I think Stu, like our team, is very resilient. They play their best when their backs are against the wall. Whether it's Stu or Picks, I think they've been able to come up big at most important times."

The Stanley Cup will be in the building Tuesday for Game 6 as the Panthers look to become the third team this century to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. The Panthers would be the first team to repeat as Stanley Cup champions by beating the same team in both series since the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins in 1977 and 1978.

"I'm looking forward to it. It's fun hockey. It's been a fun series to be a part of," Oilers star Connor McDavid said. "The Cup will be in the building. Those games are what you dream of. Obviously, it's not [here] for us, but any time the Cup's in the building and you're playing, it's a good sign."

The Oilers are facing elimination for the first time in the 2025 postseason. They rallied for three straight wins to force a Game 7 when the Panthers had a chance to eliminate them in Game 4 of last season's Stanley Cup Final.

"Our backs are against the wall, after a disappointing game all around, you have to bounce back. If you don't then everything is done, it's over and we're going home for the summer," winger Corey Perry said. "You have to be able to flush it and move on and be ready for the next one. We know what's a stake, we know where we are, and we want to make sure that doesn't happen."