Edmonton Oilers HC reacts to Calvin Pickard’s performance following tough Game 5 loss against Florida Panthers

The Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch shared his honest opinion on goaltender Calvin Pickard's performance following 5-2 loss in Game 5 of the ongoing 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.

What did Kris Knoblauch had to say on Calvin Pickard's Game 5 performance?

The Stanley Cup Finals series saw make it's return to the Rogers Place on Saturday, with the Florida Panthers taking a 3-2 lead over the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard, who had a dream Game 4, struggled to replicate his performance in Game 5 as he allowed goals on 18 shots for a .778 save percentage.

After the game, Kris Knoblauch spoke that Pickard had little chance on the goals due to breakaways.

I’m not going to make that decision right now after a tough loss like tonight. From what I saw, I think Picks didn’t have much chance on those goals — breakaways, shots through screens, slot shots — there’s nothing saying that it was a poor performance. So, that’s what I see from it now, Knoblauch said.

Goaltending has been a major problem for the Oilers when it comes to the Stanley Cup Finals. It will be interesting to see whether Knoblauch sticks with Pickard or goes back to Stuart Skinner for the must win Game 6.

Florida Panthers one win away from winning Stanley Cup Finals

On Saturday, the Edmonton Oilers were hosting Florida Panthers at the Rogers Place. The Panthers displayed a strong performance as they took home Game 5 5-2 and a lead in the the seven game series 3-2.

Brad Marchand opened the scoring for the Panthers in the first period. With less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Sam Bennett made it 2-0. The second period went goal less.

Marchand scored his second goal of the night to make it 3-0 for the Panthers. Two minutes later, it was Connor McDavid who made it 3-1 and cut the deficit to two. Bennett then scored his second of the night, making it 4-1 for the Panthers. Later, Corry Perry made it 4-2, but Eetu Luostarinen then scored the winning goal for the Panthers to clinch Game 5.

The Florida Panthers will be aiming to win their second championship on the trot. The Game 6 will be played at the Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday. The puck drops at 8:00 pm ET.