LOS ANGELES, CA - Jay Woodcroft knew his team needed a spark.
Trailing the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 through 20 minutes on Sunday and facing a potential 3-1 series deficit if they were to ultimately lose the game, the head coach and his staff decided to replace starting netminder Stuart Skinner with Jack Campbell to begin the middle frame.
The 31-year-old veteran went on to turn aside 27 of the 28 shots he faced as the Oilers scored three goals in the second period to tie the game, got another equalizing tally from Evander Kane late in the third, and evened the series at 2-2 in overtime thanks to the heroics of Zach Hyman.
"I've constantly touted that we have a good goaltending tandem," Woodcroft said. "I have belief in both of our goaltenders, and that's not assigning any blame on Stuart for the way the first period went, but I felt that our team needed a little bit of a change in momentum to give us a different kind of look."
Campbell's crowing moment in the resplendent relief performance came with 5:48 remaining in the third period and the Oilers still trailing 4-3 after Matt Roy got the only puck past the Edmonton netminder 4:28 into the final frame.
The Kings were pushing hard for an insurance marker and a steal by Phillip Danault in the neutral zone led to a partial breakaway for Viktor Arvidsson. The winger faked a wrist shot, deked to his backhand and then quickly moved back to his forehand, but Campbell stayed with him the whole way and stretched out his left pad to deny the attempt.
POST-GAME: Campbell comes up huge in relief appearance
Goaltender makes 27 saves on 28 shots including a momentous pad stop on Viktor Arvidsson to help the Oilers come back to win Game 4 in overtime
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