Oilers are perfect 4-0 when this specific goalie stat occurs
The Edmonton Oilers look like they are on the verge of turning the page on their dismal start to the season.
The team still remains second-last in the league with a 4-9-1 record but is currently on its first two-game win streak of the season. This recent success could be attributed to a number of things, including a new coach in Kris Knoblauch, a higher shooting percentage, and even a resurgence in the team’s power-play.
However, perhaps the most important change that the team has seen in recent games is the return of some decent goaltending. The play between the pipes has been chief among the Oilers’ struggles so far this season, with both Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner ranking among the worst netminders in the league just over a month into the season.
Campbell has since been sent to the AHL and has continued to struggle, but Skinner has been better in the Edmonton net of late. The Calder Trophy runner-up has only allowed two goals over the last two games and has a save percentage of .960 in that span.
That kind of play has been few and far between for the Oilers so far. Their goalies have put up a save percentage above .907 in just four games this season, all of which ended in Edmonton victories. Every single win by the Oilers this season has included a decent performance in between the pipes.
If this score holds..
The Oilers will be undefeated in games where their goalie records a .907+ sv%
Give them a goalie and I’ll give you a contender
— Stony (@StonyOil) November 14, 2023
As it stands, the average save percentage across the NHL is currently sitting at .903, which means that when the Oilers get slightly above-average goaltending, they find ways to win games. When they don’t get this kind of goaltending, they are a horrid 0-9-1.
Of those four games, Skinner has been the goalie in three of them. With Campbell now out of the picture, it will be up to the 23-year-old Edmonton native to help give the Oilers a chance to win.
Playing to a save percentage of .907 or better on a consistent basis is not a huge ask for Skinner. He was able to put together a .914 save percentage last season and holds a career save percentage of .909 in 74 NHL games.
Edmonton does not need Skinner to be a Vezina Trophy candidate; they just need average to slightly above-average play. If they can get the saves, it’s looking more and more likely that the team can get enough goals to win most games.
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