HC Kris Knoblauch makes his feelings extremely clear about Calvin Pickard leaking 4 goals in team's 6th loss in 7 games

The Edmonton Oilers' rough patch continued on Tuesday night when they were beaten 6-2 by the Anaheim Ducks. Their weak defensive efforts have come to light with some serious questions on goaltending. The team suffered their sixth loss in seven games, dating back to their February 7 game against the Colorado Avalanche.

On Tuesday, Calvin Pickard started in goal for Edmonton. He was coming off a 3-1 win in their last game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 32-year-old saved just seven shots from a possible 11 and was replaced by Stuart Skinner for the rest of the game. A 4-1 first period made it increasingly difficult for Edmonton to get back into the game despite Connor McDavid scoring later in the game.

After the game, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch opened up about Calvin Pickard's efforts. He felt that his goalie's game wasn't upto the same mark as it was in the win against the Carolina Hurricanes. He highlighted the need to defend well but expected Pickard to come in with a few saves.

"Yeah, well, it certainly wasn't the performance Calvin had in Carolina—four goals in the first period. There were breakaways and opportunities where they were left all alone, like on their first goal against. You’d like to see a save or two, but I'd also like us to defend the dangerous areas of the ice a lot better than we did," Knoblauch said.

As a result, Calvin Pickard's save percentage has dropped to a lowly .896 this season. He has decent numbers overall having earned 15 wins in the 21 games that he has started.

Bob Stauffer says Oilers will not trade for goaltending help this season

Overall, the Edmonton Oilers duo of Pickard and Stuart Skinner are 16th in the league in save percentage with .899. That is not upto the mark for a contender team like the Oilers who are looking to make yet another deep run into the playoffs. There has been certain speculations about trading for St. Louis Blues' Jordan Binnington, after his 4 Nations heroics, but as per insider Bob Stauffer, that is unlikely.

“I’m going to say something that not everybody’s going to like… I don’t foresee the Edmonton Oilers making a move for a goaltender. And I’m not pinning the five goals against on the goaltender. We’re watching a couple of guys have their worst defensive games of the season in terms of a couple of forwards,” Stauffer said (via Edmonton Journal).

As one of the primary Oilers insiders, if Stauffer's words are to be believed, then Pickard and Skinner would have to pick up their game. Edmonton have 74 points from 61 games and are second in the Pacific Division.