Oilers’ Ekholm, Pickard won’t be available to start third-round playoff series
The Edmonton Oilers are going to remain without a couple of veterans for the beginning of the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
When speaking to the media on Friday, head coach Kris Knoblauch revealed that defenseman Mattias Ekholm and goaltender Calvin Pickard will not be available for the start of the Western Conference Final.
Pickard and Ekholm won’t be ready to start the series.
Knoblauch says he thinks both could be available later in the series.
Knoblauch shattered some optimism by stating that Ekholm and Pickard could be available later in the series.
Pickard has been out of action since suffering an undisclosed injury in Game 2 of the team’s second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. He was a huge reason the Oilers even got to the Pacific Division Final. After a couple of tough outings for Stuart Kinner in round one against the Los Angeles Kings, Pickard was given the reins, playing well enough to help Edmonton win the next four games to advance, coming out victorious in the first two games against Vegas.
With Pickard out, Skinner found a level of resurgence against the Golden Knights, winning two of the three games he played, including posting back-to-back shutouts to send the Oilers to the West Final for the third time in four years.
Ekholm hasn’t been in the lineup at all during these playoffs. The Swedish blueliner had been battling sickness and ailment during the final stretch of the regular season when Edmonton was bitten heavily by the injury bug. He was last in the lineup on April 11 against the San Jose Sharks. Ekholm missed the final three games of the regular season before having to sit out the first 11 games of the playoffs.
The Oilers’ opponent in the semifinals is yet to be determined. They await to face the winner of the Central Division Final, which has the Dallas Stars leading the Winnipeg Jets, 3-2. Game 6 of that series is set for Saturday night in Dallas.