There was a very telling quote recently from Stuart Skinner, after the Edmonton Oilers goaltender backstopped his team to a 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round series.
Skinner, who had been the subject of intense criticism after going 0-3 with a goals-against average (GAA) of 5.62 and save percentage (SV%) of .817 over his first three starts this postseason, was asked by a reporter if he’d found it difficult to block out the outside noise, especially in a city that lives and dies with its hockey team.
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“What outside noise? I had no idea. No clue what’s going on,” he said before moving on to the next question without missing a beat.
The 26-year-old’s response came with a wry smile, a slight gleam in his eye, and just enough sense of deadpan: Of course, he knew about the outside noise. He genuinely just doesn’t care.
That’s the perfect demeanor for a netminder in the Oil Country fishbowl and is exactly why Skinner has been able to completely turn things around this postseason. He followed up his Game 4 shutout by blanking Vegas again in Game 5, this time in overtime, as Edmonton eliminated the Golden Knights with a 1-0 victory to reach the Western Conference Final for a second straight spring. The Oilers will face either the Dallas Stars or Winnipeg Jets in the next round.
In doing so, Skinner became just the third netminder with back-to-back postseason shutouts as an Oiler. He’s currently played 127:20 of consecutive game time without allowing a goal, the fourth-longest such streak in Edmonton’s Stanley Cup Playoff history.
Bouncing Back From Game 3 Disaster
Skinner had every reason to feel at his absolute lowest just one week ago, in the wake of Game 3 against the Golden Knights on May 10. That night marked Skinner’s first action since being pulled in favour of Calvin Pickard during Edmonton’s first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.
Pickard had won six consecutive starts, as the Oilers went from trailing Los Angeles 2-0 in Round 1 to leading Vegas 2-0 in Round 2. In the process, Pickard seized the starter’s role and earned the confidence of Oil Country. But the veteran was sidelined after suffering an undisclosed injury during Game 2 against Vegas, leading to Skinner’s return. Game 3 offered Skinner an opportunity at redemption. It turned out to be anything but.
With the score tied 3-3 in the dying seconds, Skinner came way out of his net to challenge Reilly Smith. The Vegas forward fired a desperation shot that appeared to be headed wide but was deflected by Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, who was in the crease covering for Skinner, and just crossed the goal line with 0.4 seconds left.
Smith’s tally was only the third instance in Stanley Cup Playoff history of a go-ahead goal being scored in the final second of regulation. It sucked the air out of Rogers Place and inspired a new level of vitriol directed at Skinner.
Skinner: Always Calm and Composed
When he spoke to the media following the disastrous end to Game 3, Skinner was his usual even-keeled self, telling reporters that “things happen: good bounces, tough bounces; it happens for everybody, so we’ll just move forward.”
It was typical Skinner. Calm and composed, he’ll shrug off even the most gut-wrenching defeat, which is the textbook definition of what Game 3 was.
To some, it can seem like Skinner doesn’t really care. His deportment has drawn the ire of those who want to see more fire out of the goalie. But while that might work for some, it’s not Skinner’s nature. Besides, it’s Skinner’s nature that has made him a Western Hockey League (WHL) champion, NHL All-Star, Calder Trophy finalist, and Stanley Cup Final starter. Skinner not getting upset should not be mistaken for his not taking things seriously.
Skinner’s Been Here Before
Skinner’s turnaround is absolutely remarkable while being completely unsurprising to those who have followed his career.
From being yo-yoed between the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL) earlier in his career to getting benched in the middle of the postseason, nothing rattles Skinner nor shakes his confidence. In fact, this isn’t even the first time he’s had to pick himself up from the mat during the playoffs.
After hitting a rough patch against the Vancouver Canucks during Round 2 last year, Skinner sat out a pair of games while Pickard went 1-1. With Edmonton facing elimination down 3-2, Skinner returned to the net and proceeded to backstop the Oilers not only to a come-from-behind series win against Vancouver, but on a run all the way to Game 7 of the championship series, posting a stellar 2.05 GAA and .914 SV% over 15 consecutive starts during that span.
Could Skinner be poised to do something similar this year? Edmonton’s crease will be his for at least a couple more games: on Friday (May 16), Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said that Pickard is day-to-day, and the 33-year-old goaltender’s return would be “sometime in the middle” of the Western Conference Final. A start date for that series is yet to be announced.
Skinner isn’t the most skilled netminder in the world, and he’s certainly not the most consistent. He could very well have another rough spell before this spring turns to summer. But if he does, he’ll bounce back. No one is better at dealing with the trials and tribulations of being Oil Country’s last line of defence.
