Oilers coach thinking about a goalie switch for Game 3 in Edmonton
The Edmonton Oilers are officially suffering from a goaltending crisis two games into the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Stuart Skinner has allowed 11 goals in the first two games and now ranks last among playoff goaltenders with a -4.7 GSAx (goals saved above expected). Things got so out of hand on Wednesday night that head coach Kris Knoblauch decided to pull Skinner in the late stages of Game 2 in favour of Calvin Pickard.
Things continued to slide as Pickard let in the first shot that he faced. This begs the question of who will get the start for Edmonton when the series shifts back to the Alberta capital for Game 3.
Knoblauch was asked that question on Thursday morning, and he didn’t rule out Pickard getting the call over Skinner.
“We knew throughout the series, if we’re fortunate to play through June, that most likely we’re gonna make a switch at some time, but we haven’t made a decision as of now,” Knoblauch said.
“[Skinner] is in a difficult position. The amount of chances are low, but the quality of shots and chances are high. That’s not easy for the goaltender, you can have some of those once in a while, but too many… [a change in net] is something we’ll have to decide.”
"We're very optimistic going back to Edmonton, playing in front of our fans, getting LA to play on the road."
Coach Knoblauch on the #Oilers returning home to defend @RogersPlace in Games 3 & 4.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/eadD9OZgR9
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 24, 2025
Looking back on Skinner’s playoff history does not inspire a lot of confidence that he can reasonably rebound after this poor start. Through 37 postseason games with the Oilers, the Edmonton native possesses a dismal .891 SV% and is just above .500 with a 19-17 record.
Skinner holds a 2-1 record in games coming off two straight playoff losses.
There also isn’t much confidence to be inspired by Pickard, who only has two career playoff starts that came during last year’s second-round matchup against the Vancouver Canucks. He allowed five goals in that span, but did have a fairly decent .915 SV% to right the ship.
A decision on who will receive the net will have to be made soon, as the Kings travel to Edmonton for Game 3 on Friday night.