Pickard to start in goal as Oilers visit Red Wings

Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard swats away a shot during NHL action against the host Calgary Flames on April 6, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

The Edmonton Oilers are starting their backup goalie Sunday in the first of back-to-back road games for the National Hockey League (NHL) club.

Calvin Pickard will start in net for the third time this season as the Oilers visit Detroit for a 4 p.m. MT afternoon matchup against the Red Wings.

"We're heading into a back-to-back, (so) whether we chose the first game, second game ... Calvin's been strong for us," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told media Sunday morning.

The Oilers will travel to Columbus, Ohio, after Sunday's game to play the Blue Jackets on Monday.

• Visit our Oilers page for the latest stories, videos and more

Pickard is 1-1 in three appearances for the Oilers this season with a 3.28 goals-against average and an .852 save percentage. The 32-year-old backstopped Edmonton to a win over the Predators in Nashville on Oct. 17, five days after he was in the net for a home loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Pickard also came into the Oilers' season-opening loss to the Winnipeg Jets in relief of No. 1 goalie Stuart Skinner.

The 11-year pro played three seasons with the Red Wings before joining the Oilers organization in 2022.

"I like this building. It's a fun building to play in," Pickard said Sunday morning of Little Caesars Arena, the Red Wings' home ice. "I loved my time in Detroit. It's a really good spot. A lot of good friends over there (in the Red Wings' dressing room)."

The Oilers are heading into Detroit after a dominant 4-0 win on home ice Friday over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Wings at .500

Detroit has a 2-2-0 record at home and a 4-4 record overall. The Red Wings have allowed 25 goals while scoring 23 for a -2 scoring differential.

Edmonton has a 1-1-0 record on the road and a 3-4-1 record overall. The Oilers have a 1-2-0 record in games they serve more penalty minutes than their opponents.

The teams meet Sunday for the first time this season.

Top performers

Lucas Raymond heads the Red Wings scoring list with eight points (one goal, seven assists. Alex DeBrincat (sevent points) and Dylan Larkin (five points) each have four goals to lead Detroit in that category.

Connor McDavid leads the Oilers with eight points (three goals, five assists), with Leon Draisaitl close behind him with a team-leading four goals and seven points.

Last 10 games

Oilers: 3-4-1, averaging 1.8 goals, 2.9 assists, 2.8 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

Red Wings: 4-4-0, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.5 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.

New jersey sponsor

The Oilers have a new deal to promote a business that helps other businesses offset their carbon emissions.

OEG Sports and Entertainment, which owns the team, said Saturday it and Karbon-X have a deal that will see the Karbon-X logo featured on the Oilers away jerseys for each road game through the 2026-27 NHL season.

Karbon-X says on its website that works with global partners to find and support sustainable projects that reduce carbon emissions.

OEG says it will also be working with Karbon-X to review its own operations to find ways to reduce its carbon footprint.

With files from The Canadian Press