Edmonton Oilers goaltending hangs in the balance for Game 2 vs. Kings
What’s old is new again for the Edmonton Oilers.
We are only one game into the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the narrative around the Oilers has already shifted toward goaltending. Stuart Skinner was always a question mark surrounding this year’s team after he put up a rather disheartening .896 SV% through 51 regular season appearances and a -1.5 GSAx that ranked him 65th out of 103 NHL goalies this year.
It wasn’t the type of season he wanted after nearly capturing the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 1990 last year. The hope was that experience would mould him into a more consistent goaltender and establish him as the de facto starter for a contending team.
Instead, there are already questions as to whether he will even start Game 2 of the Oilers’ opening-round series against the LA Kings. Head coach Kris Knoblauch refused to reveal the starting goaltender during a Tuesday media availability.
That is largely due to Skinner allowing six goals on 30 shots in Game 1 (.800 SV%), with the Kings clinching the win with a flubbed shot that the Oilers’ goalie failed to pick up.
THE KINGS SCORE WITH 41 SECONDS LEFT šØ
WHAT. A. GAME. pic.twitter.com/isDDkXvK71
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 22, 2025
This would be far from the first time that the Oilers and Skinner have had some troubles in the playoffs, though it is a bit earlier than expected. Last season, all the drama occurred in the second-round of the playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks.
Skinner didn’t have a fantastic outing against the Kings in 2024, having posted a SV% of .900 or over just two times en route to a five-game series win for Edmonton. However, things quickly boiled over in round two when he was lit up for 12 goals in the first three games of the series.
Knoblauch turned to Calvin Pickard to get the team on track, and the backup goaltender managed to split Games 4 and 5 before Skinner found a way to rebound to help the Oilers to a Game 7 victory.
Pickard will be the guy again if Skinner loses the net, but we shouldn’t be betting on that to happen right away. The Oilers have an extensive history of dropping Game 1 against the Kings and have now done it three of the last four years.
Knoblauch will likely keep Skinner in the Oilers’ net in hopes that he and the team can bounce back with a better effort in Game 2. However, the leash should be a lot shorter, considering Skinner’s recent history of inconsistent goaltending.
Wednesday night’s matchup may wind up being the most important turning point of the series, regardless of whether or not the Oilers get the win.