Blomqvist made 18 of his saves in the first half alone, holding down the fort as his teammates struggled to generate much at the other end, registering just five shots.

“You stay in the game pretty good when shots are coming at you all the time,” said Blomqvist, who said he felt “pretty good” in the competition. “You can’t really choose what awaits you in the game, so you just have to be ready for anything.”

He continued this play in the second period, with the Penguins gaining momentum thanks to some of the sequences he set up. Blomqvist made some great saves against the likes of Connor McDavid – without a stick, though! – and Leon Draisaitl on break.

While the Oilers found themselves with a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of play, it could have been a bigger deficit for Pittsburgh without Blomqvist.

Sullivan talks a lot about critical moments in the game that are important for building momentum, the first quarters being an example. The Penguins coughed up the puck in their zone, and it ended up in the back of their net just 16 seconds into the final period.

“I think Connor and Leon are pretty tough for anyone to play against, but especially with their speed and just one little mistake on the wrong side of the puck and it feels like it ends up in your net,” said Sidney Crosby. “They are so dangerous. So, it tests your discipline, tests your structure and just your level of competition. We have to find ways to keep pucks and not give them these opportunities. »

The Penguins regrouped and created Grade-A chances afterward, with Erik Karlsson getting a point-blank chance in the slot and Noel Acciari nearly converting a 2-on-1 shorthanded break. couldn’t get past Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, and Edmonton managed to take a 4-0 lead on the power play exactly seven minutes later.

Although the result was disappointing, Blomqvist’s play was a big beacon of hope, as Kyle Dubas said earlier this week: “If you’re a goalie in our group right now, the opportunity is immense. »

Blomqvist arrived at training camp aiming to fight for a spot on the team despite having Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic in the squad, and made huge strides in that regard in his second professional season in North America.

“That’s always the goal of a goalkeeper, to be the one who gets the most chances,” Blomqvist said.

With Jarry returning to Pittsburgh for individual work, Nedeljkovic should get the nod Saturday night in Vancouver. The Penguins have opted for the tandem of Nedeljkovic and Blomqvist for three straight games.

“The reality is we play a lot of games here. We need both guys to go now, and they’re both going to get some time,” Sullivan said.