Skinner was revitalized by Oilers-Canucks series: "It pissed me off"
It’s been quite a playoff run for Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner.
For every uproarious moment, there have been several very rough stretches for the sophomore goaltender as he now finds himself on the verge of elimination in the Stanley Cup Final.
His recent play hasn’t been much of a concern. Since Game 1 of the Western Conference Final series against the Dallas Stars, Skinner has played to a .906 save percentage and holds a respectable 5-5 record. It could be better, but he has given his team a chance to win just about every single night.
It’s a lot better than how he was showing in the second round against the Vancouver Canucks. Skinner had been awful in the first three games, allowing 12 goals in that span and losing starter duties in Games 4 and 5 to backup goalie Calvin Pickard.
That was a wake-up call for him and it’s an experience he says helped him rebound.
“What happened in Vancouver did a number of things to me,” Skinner said this morning. “I think it pissed me off, first and foremost. I was also able to get some time to myself, get a reset, calm things down and work on my game.
“After that, I just really wanted to be the guy to help my team win. It really sucked to be on the bench and see what happened. That just really pushed me to find my game and do absolutely everything I can, no matter what happens, to fight my way into giving the team a chance to win every night.”
"Weāre going to fight together, just like we always do."
Nurse & Skinner address the media after #Oilers practice in Florida. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/Ega8Qw1g1Q
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 17, 2024
In the final two games of that series against the Canucks, Skinner backstopped his team to two straight wins to come back and eliminate Vancouver in Game 7. He had a combined save percentage of .907 in a winning effort in those last games.
Upon reflection of that series, Skinner says he wouldn’t have changed a thing.
“In the moment, it seems like the worst thing ever, and then a couple of weeks later, you look back on it, and you’re nothing but grateful and thankful for that moment,” Skinner explained.
Going into the Stanley Cup Final, it was the Canucks who had given the Oilers their hardest test. It’s an experience that they will be drawing on for the rest of their series against the Florida Panthers. They are down 3-1 in the series and will have to win three straight if they want to return the cup back to Canada.
Skinner will have to stand strong in the Oilers’ net for that to happen. Panthers’ goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been nearly unstoppable in three of the four games in this series and it will be a tall order for the 25-year-old Skinner to outduel him at the other end of the ice over the rest of this series.
It’s going to be a tough challenge for this entire Oilers team as they will try to become the first team in NHL history to win a Game 5 on the road in the Stanley Cup Final after going down 3-0.
“We’re going to fight together, just like how we always do.”
We’ll see if the Oilers and Skinner have one last miracle run left in them.
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