Former Flyers goaltender has been clutch for the Oilers in the playoffs

Every Flyers fan remembers the 2018-19 season for one reason. That is the season they became the first team in the NHL to use eight goaltenders in a single season.

The Flyers started the season with Brian Elliott and Michael Neuvirth as their two goaltenders. They also claimed a goaltender off waivers from the Maple Leafs before the season started, but we'll get to him in a minute. Carter Hart made his NHL debut in December and played the most games of any goaltender that season.

Alex Lyon and Anthony Stolarz filled in at times. Mike McKenna's Flyers journey was a short-lived one. He was claimed off waivers from the Canucks in January, his third team of that week. McKenna played one game, and would later retire after 10 games with the Phantoms.

Cam Talbot was acquired late in the season to try and mentor Hart and become part of the next tandem. He played three games, won one, and was not brought back. But he did help the Flyers make history as the eighth goaltender.

All in all, it was a disastrous year that saw Ron Hextall fired in late December. Part of the reason was for his handling of the goaltending that season. He relied on two injury-prone goaltenders and failed to acquire adequate replacements, even with one available in the minors. But his worst move?

The goaltender Hextall claimed from the Maple Leafs before the season was none other than Calvin Pickard. The goaltender was dreadful in eight games for the Flyers, posting a 4.01 goals-against average and .863 save percentage. He was waived shortly after Hextall's dismissal. Pickard made short stops in Arizona and Detroit before landing in Edmonton in 2023.

He is now two games away from winning a Stanley Cup.

Pickard's opportunity began when the Oilers were down 2-0 in their first-round series to the Los Angeles Kings. Stuart Skinner allowed 11 goals in the first two games and had an ungodly 6.11 goals-against-average. Despite allowing seven goals in the next two games, Pickard helped the Oilers come back and win the series.

He rattled off six straight wins before an injury forced the Oilers to go back to Skinner against Vegas. Nearly a month to the day, Pickard was back in the net after Skinner was pulled against the Panthers in the third game of the series. And there he was again after Skinner was torched for three goals in the first period in the next game.

Staring a potential 3-1 deficit in the face, Pickard stepped up in a big way. Edmonton would rally and take a 5-4 win in overtime to tie the series. It was Pickard's stop on a breakaway by Anton Lundell that kept the score at 3-1. Edmonton would make it 3-2 shortly after, later taking a 4-3 lead in the third. And while the Panthers would tie the game with under 20 seconds left to force overtime, Pickard wasn't fazed.

His glove save on Sam Bennett set the stage for Leon Draisaitl's overtime winner. Pickard got just enough of the puck as it would hit the crossbar after and stay out. Draisaitl scored the game-winner less than two minutes later.

The Oilers will need to decide who will be in the net for Saturday night's game. They stuck with Skinner after his previous struggles, but can they afford to continue that choice? Pickard's strong postseason performance has earned him the net once more. His statistics may not look impressive, with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage. However, he has consistently made crucial saves at the right moments, allowing Edmonton to utilize their offensive firepower to dominate games.

It's been a long time since he was one of eight goaltenders to play for the Flyers. Now he's the shining star in the postseason.