Calvin Pickard made 26 saves to earn his first NHL victory in nearly two years, as the Edmonton Oilers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.
Pickard’s Return to Victory
Pickard, whose last NHL win came on Jan. 28, 2022, with the Detroit Red Wings, made his fourth season appearance for the Oilers. He has also played four games for Bakersfield in the AHL this season.
“You can’t put too much pressure on yourself when you don’t play very often, but I felt good in practice, and I wanted to keep it going,” Pickard said. “I thought we played a great game all the way through, very defensive, really good special teams, and deserved the win.”
The 31-year-old started the season in Bakersfield and was called up to replace Jack Campbell, who had a difficult start to the season.
“It is exciting. Everyone feels so happy for the guy,” Oilers forward Connor Brown said. “He stood on his head, especially down the stretch. I thought he did a great job. You are nothing but happy for him. It’s always fun.”
Scoring Breakdown
Derek Ryan, Evan Bouchard, Connor McDavid, and Evander Kane (with an empty-netter) scored for Edmonton, improving their record to 12-12-1. Kane and McDavid each had an assist, Bouchard extended his points streak to 11 games, and McDavid pushed him to nine.
Jesper Bratt scored for New Jersey, and Akira Schmid made 26 saves. The Devils, coming off a win in Calgary, fell to 14-11-1.
“I think the schedule got us a little bit; we didn’t have quite the energy,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “We missed the net a few times; we didn’t funnel pucks when we had opportunities.”
Game Highlights
Ryan opened the scoring with 1:24 left in the first period, with an assist from Sam Gagner. Bouchard made it 2-0 on a power play in the second period with a shot from the point. McDavid extended the lead to 3-0 early in the third period after Zach Hyman disrupted Schmid behind the net, allowing Kane to set up McDavid.
Bratt spoiled Pickard’s shutout bid 30 seconds later, scoring off a perfect feed from Nico Hischier. McDavid then assisted Kane for an empty-net goal, recording their 12th goals of the season.
Upcoming Games
- Devils: Host Boston on Wednesday night.
- Oilers: Host Chicago on Tuesday night.
