Calvin Pickard wasn’t just good on Monday night as the Edmonton Oilers pulled out a 3-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. He was the best player on the ice, stopping 41 of 42 shots, a season high for the Jets.
As TSN’s Ryan Rishaug wrote after the game, “Impressive night from Pickard. He’s being pushed this season for his job, and he’s had a couple of major statement games. [Tristan] Jarry and [Connor] Ingram have had some good starts, but neither has done recently what Pickard did tonight – Flat out steal a game.”
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Related: NHL Rumors: 2 Trade Fits For Oilers’ Andrew Mangiapane
Pickard’s strong play and him stealing a win comes at just the right time for him personally. Despite earlier fan frustration with the Oilers goaltending, Pickard’s recent performances have been welcomed, with the sentiment that his emergence gives the Oilers a good problem to have and something fans can feel excited about.
It wasn’t long ago that the Oilers probably felt like no one could make a save. Now, Ingram, Jarry, and Pickard are all putting on solid performances. It’s a significant change.
The question now will be, does Pickard get the start against the Boston Bruins on New Year’s Eve. One factor to consider is how waivers will work with Ingram. Because Ingram is on an Emergency Recall, he can play up to 9 NHL games (backups do not count), then be returned to the AHL without requiring waivers.
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Once Ingram hits 10 games, waivers are triggered. So far, he has played three. Do the Oilers roll with the hot hand? Or, do they go back to Ingram because he’s been sitting? Jarry’s injury may also factor into that decision.
Pickard stole a win for the Oilers vs. the Jets. Photo by: © James Carey Lauder Imagn Images
Oilers Pull Out A Different Kind of Win
The Oilers bent, but didn’t break. It’s the kind of game the Oilers used to win a lot last year, but have struggled to pull two points out of in 2025-26.
The Jets limited Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to just two shots between them. Going in, if you’d told the Jets that was a solid game plan, they’d have taken it. Ultimately, it was Max Jones who got a goal from the fourth line, and Jack Roslovic who scored from the second-unit power play. Zach Hyman got the empty-net goal.
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Edmonton was flooded with shots, but Pickard stood tall, and the Oilers limited the rebound chances. The blue line on the Oilers was pressed hard and did a solid job of keeping the Jets from breaking through.
The game had a bit of everything. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins got involved in a spirited scrap, which told a much more aggressive and physical Jets team that the Oilers wouldn’t be intimidated.
Going into the game, the storyline was Andrew Mangiapane. Pickard stole the spotlight from that surprising narrative that began on Monday afternoon. Still, the questions remain.
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Is Mangiapane on the verge of being traded? Reports were that he was open to the idea, and while he was pegged to be on the fourth line, he wound up being a healthy scratch just prior to puck drop. Many wondered if the move was trade-related. It might be, even if nothing is imminent and reports are the forward and his agent have not been told a trade is coming.
Jones was inserted into the lineup and he scored a goal. The last 24 hours have been quite the turn of events.
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