The 33-year-old Edmonton Oilers goalie started the playoffs on the bench, backing up starter Stuart Skinner. But when Edmonton stumbled through two losses to open their best-of-seven series against the L.A. Kings, Pickard was elevated to the No. 1 job.

But it’s hard not to look at the series and see Pickard as the common denominator when it comes to the Oilers’ reversal of fortunes. He didn’t just come in and make saves, he absolutely saved this series for an Edmonton crew hellbent on returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row.