Team Canada has decided to start Calvin Pickard in net for their quarter-final matchup against Germany at the world hockey championship on Thursday.
Pickard, 25, made four starts during the preliminary round of tournament, posting a .932 save percentage. He was in the crease for Canada's lone loss of the tournament as Switzerland's Fabrice Herzog beat him in overtime.
Pickard gets the nod over Chad Johnson, who is undefeated in three starts at the tournament. Johnson has posted a .917 save percentage at the tournament, while each goaltender has one shutout.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports Thursday's nod is not an indication of who will play against Russia or the Czech Republic in the semis, should Canada advance. Dreger reports head coach Jon Cooper and his staff will re-evaluate the position after Thursday's game.
Washington Capitals goaltender Philipp Grubauer will make his second start of the tournament on Thursday for Team Germany. Grubauer turned aside 27 of 30 shots faced on Tuesday as Germany beat Latvia in a shootout to advance to the quarter-finals.
Canada finished atop Group B with a 6-0-1 record, while Germany was fourth in Group A with 11 points (two wins, two overtime wins, one overtime loss and one regulation loss).
Canada is expected to use the following lines:
Skinner-Scheifele-MacKinnon
O'Reilly-Giroux-Simmonds
Killorn-Couturier-Duchene
Konecny-Point-Marner
Schenn
D
Vlasic-Parayko
de Haan-Demers
Matheson-Morrissey
Lee
G
Pickard (starts)
Johnson
