Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner got ran over by Bruins' Zadorov
Edmonton Oilers fans were holding their breath after seeing goaltender Stuart Skinner leave tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins after a scary incident.
It was the only low spot during a first period that saw the Oilers dominate the Bruins, outshooting Boston by a 14-4 margin and taking a 1-0 lead into the middle frame. Skinner had looked solid as well, turning aside each Boston shot with relative ease.
Yet, it was Bruins defender Nikita Zadorov who knocked him out of the game after plowing into Skinner on a partial break. He did not attempt to avoid the Oilers goaltender and wound up powering right through his body and making slight contact with the head.
Zadorov was given a two-minute penalty for goalie interference, and Skinner was pulled from the game by the concussion spotter, leaving backup Calvin Pickard to come on in relief.
Stuart Skinner leaves the game after a collision with Nikita Zadorov. pic.twitter.com/RsueGzI7Vf
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 8, 2025
Luckily, it doesn’t appear that there was any lasting injury on Skinner’s part as he returned to the Oilers net to start the second period. Losing him would have had a significant impact, as he has been playing some really good hockey lately.
Despite having yet another slow start to the season, Skinner has managed to put up a 7-2-1 record over his last 10 starts and a rock-solid .915 SV% over that time. This has helped the Oilers play their way into the top 10 of the NHL standings and within striking distance of the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights.
There was a bit of criticism levied Edmonton’s way after the play, as not a single player on the ice seemed to confront Zadorov. Given how important Skinner is to this team, you would have liked to see somebody come to his aid, even if Zadorov is a formidable foe.
There is also some bad blood with the towering Bruins defender stemming back to last year’s playoff series when he was a member of the Vancouver Canucks.