Stuart Skinner, the goalie for the Edmonton Oilers, has experienced a turnaround from being taken out of games to receiving praise during this postseason.
“He’s a vital part of our team. Since he stepped aside for ‘Picks’ to play in two games against Vancouver, he’s been performing exceptionally well,” remarked Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm. “He brings a calm presence to the ice and stands tall in the net.”
Combined with solid defensive play and an effective penalty kill, the Oilers now have an opportunity to do more than just split the first two games of the Western Conference final against the top-seeded Dallas Stars.
Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday night.
Skinner found himself on the sidelines following a goalie change midway through the second round. After allowing four goals on 15 shots in Game 3 against the Canucks, he was replaced by Calvin Pickard, who then won Game 4 and made 32 saves in a Game 5 loss before Skinner reclaimed his position.
In the three games since then, including back-to-back games facing elimination against Vancouver, Skinner has maintained a perfect 3-0 record with a goals-against average of 1.50 and a save percentage of .923.
The West final began with a thrilling 3-2 double-overtime victory for Edmonton, with Skinner making crucial saves, including nine in overtime. His efforts denied late shots by Tyler Seguin and Jason Robertson, who also hit the post twice during an extended power play in the first overtime period.
“He was exactly what we needed,” commented Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
McDavid scored the game-winning goal early in the second overtime period, but the team’s success was also due to their ability to kill off a four-minute penalty following McDavid’s double-minor penalty for a high stick early in the first extra period.
The Oilers successfully defended against five penalties from Dallas, extending their streak to 20 consecutive penalty kills without conceding a power-play goal.
