Connor McDavid typically grabs the spotlight for the Edmonton Oilers. But on Sunday night, it was goalie Stuart Skinner’s performance that brought them close to advancing in the NHL playoffs.
Skinner blocked 33 shots to secure his first playoff shutout in the Oilers’ 1-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4.
Skinner joins a small group of goalies in franchise history who have achieved a postseason shutout, the latest being Mike Smith two years ago in the first round against the Kings. The most recent shutout was in Game 7 of the 2022 first-round series when Smith made 29 saves in a 2-0 win.
“The Kings challenged me out there. By the end of the third period, I was sweating a lot,” Skinner said. “The guys worked hard for me. Even when we were under pressure in our defensive zone, we managed to win battles along the boards and clear the puck.”
This marked Skinner’s 16th postseason start and his fifth career shutout, following two during the regular season.
With a 3-1 lead in the first-round series, Edmonton heads into Game 5 on Wednesday night at home. The Kings, who last won the Stanley Cup in 2014, have now lost four straight playoff series.
“Stuart played really well,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch praised. “He made a lot of important saves and managed rebounds excellently.”
Although Los Angeles dominated shots on goal 33-13, Edmonton’s success mainly came from their performance on special teams.
The Oilers capitalized on their only power-play opportunity with Evan Bouchard’s goal in the second period, making them 8 for 15 in the series. “We took advantage of the opportunities they gave us, adapting our strategy accordingly,” Bouchard remarked.
Interestingly, Los Angeles has yet to score on the power play throughout the postseason, going 0 for 11 in the series. Kings interim coach Jim Hiller emphasized the importance of winning the special teams battle, lamenting their failure to do so.
Despite setting a franchise record for the fewest shots in a playoff game with just 13, the Oilers managed to secure the win, which is also the fewest shots they’ve had in a playoff victory.
It’s happened 11 times since 1974 and the second time this year that a team has won a playoff game with 13 or fewer shots. Vancouver also did it in Game 3 against Nashville, winning 2-1 with just 12 shots.
David Rittich started in goal for the Kings instead of Cam Talbot, who struggled in the first three games. Rittich made 12 saves.
Coach Hiller praised Rittich’s performance but expressed disappointment in the team’s inability to score. Matt Roy had a good chance to score in the second period but couldn’t convert.
Kings forward Philip Danault admitted frustration over missed opportunities and emphasized the need to keep playing aggressively, despite being in a tough position.
The first penalty of the game came in the second period when Andreas Englund of the Kings was penalized for holding. Edmonton capitalized on the power play shortly after with a goal from Bouchard, assisted by McDavid.
McDavid’s assist marked his ninth of the series, making him the eighth player in NHL history to have at least five 10-point postseason series. Three of these series have been against Los Angeles.
The Kings pulled their goalie for an extra skater near the end of the game but couldn’t create a significant scoring chance.
Oilers defenseman Corey Perry emphasized the importance of grinding out tough defensive wins in the playoffs, acknowledging that not every game will be high-scoring.
