If anyone was due for a big performance, it was Stuart Skinner. The Oilers goalie had faced heavy criticism throughout this year’s playoffs, but he silenced the doubters with a shutout in Game 5, helping Edmonton punch their ticket to the Western Conference Final. After the game, captain Connor McDavid had a pointed message for those who had questioned Skinner.
It’s been an up-and-down postseason for Skinner. Many questioned whether he had what it takes to backstop the Oilers to a Stanley Cup, and his early struggles—going 0–3 with poor numbers—only fueled the skepticism.
Skinner was even replaced by Calvin Pickard partway through the first round, but when Pickard went down with an injury, Skinner returned to the crease—and ultimately proved his worth.
Connor McDavid on Stuart Skinner
Stuart Skinner blanked the Vegas Golden Knights in a 3–0 victory in Game 4, then followed it up with another shutout in Game 5—this time a 1–0 overtime win that clinched Edmonton’s spot in the Western Conference Final for the second year in a row and third time in four seasons.
Thanks to his stellar play, Skinner now brings a 127-minute shutout streak into the next round, where the Oilers will face either the Winnipeg Jets or Dallas Stars. He’s turned aside the last 48 shots he’s faced, and after the game, Connor McDavid made his stance clear with a pointed comment to NHL insider Ryan Rishaug:
“Hopefully it shuts a lot of people up who were talking about him.”
