SUNRISE, Fla. — Lost in the hullabaloo of a one-sided Game 4 win where Connor McDavid starred and the Edmonton Oilers’ depth players contributed was the play of goaltender Stuart Skinner.
Skinner robbed Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe on a two-on-one at 12:05 of the first period, a save that prevented the score from being tied. The Oilers cruised to an 8-1 victory from there.
“The goalie position is so unique. Those big saves at the right time can sometimes flip a game on its head,” defenceman Brett Kulak said. “Stu’s done that at the right times for us.”
Stuart Skinner sprawls out to rob Carter Verhaeghe, what a stop#LetsGoOilers | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/0CFqh4uxgF
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) June 16, 2024
Skinner’s save on Verhaeghe was one of 32 he made Saturday. A tip from Vladimir Tarasenko on a point shot from Gustav Forsling was the only puck to beat him.
That type of performance from Skinner late in a series or elimination game has become par for the course.
Take one glance at the .898 save percentage or consider that he lost his starting job midway through the Vancouver series, and you might think Skinner’s been a disappointment this spring — that the Oilers are here despite him and not because of him.
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But Skinner’s excellence as the stakes get higher has been instrumental to their run.
“Any big-pressure situation, he’s showed up to be our best player,” Kulak said. “That says a lot.”
The proof is in the details.
Skinner allowed nine goals in the first two games against Los Angeles as the series was split heading back to California. He then stopped 60 of 61 shots over two road games to crush any chances the Kings had of winning that series.
The start of the Vancouver series was dreadful. Skinner allowed 12 goals on 58 shots before he was pulled in favour of Calvin Pickard heading into the third period of Game 3. Pickard played the next two games before Skinner got tabbed again. He turned away 29 of the 32 pucks he faced in games 6 and 7.
Some called for Skinner to be benched again after he surrendered four goals on 21 shots in Game 3 of the Western Conference final. The winner was Jason Robertson’s bank shot in the third period. But Skinner remained in the net and outduelled Dallas Stars counterpart Jake Oettinger from there, highlighted by saving 33 of 34 shots in the Game 6 clincher. He was the best player on the ice that night.
Skinner has a .953 save percentage in those seven pivotal games. Winning on Saturday after three straight losses was just another notch on that belt.
“Second half of series, you look at every series, he’s been much better,” coach Kris Knoblauch said. “First three games, not that anything was bad, but it wasn’t the level I’ve seen him play up until Game 4. Game 4 he took it to another level.
“If we’re getting the puck luck like we did in Game 4 and Stu’s playing the way he is, then we’ve got to be really optimistic.”
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It’s Skinner’s penchant for rebounding after the going gets rough that is one of the aspects that teammate Leon Draisaitl admires most about him.
“One quality I really appreciate about him is the way he responds,” Draisaitl said. “This league’s too good to be amazing every single night. It doesn’t work that way. League’s too good.
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“It’s all about how you respond and the next day how you show up and be better than the day before. I’m very impressed with the way he handled that.”
Case in point: the Vancouver series — a real turning point for Skinner this postseason.
He wasn’t just “pissed” to be removed from the net, as he said Monday. He was crushed. It wasn’t hard to miss as he sat on the bench by himself long after his teammates left the ice following the morning skate in Vancouver ahead of Game 5.
But those few days helped him find his sense of calmness and reset.
“After that I just really wanted to be the guy to help my team win,” Skinner said. “It really sucked being on the bench and seeing what happened. That just really pushed me to find my game and do absolutely everything I can — no matter what happens — just to fight my way and to give my team a chance to win every night.
“It’s funny; in the moment, it seems like the worst thing ever. Then, a couple weeks later, you look back on it. You’re just nothing but grateful and thankful for that moment.”
It’s a testament to Skinner’s mental fortitude that he was able to push past that disappointment and help the Oilers get to the Stanley Cup Final. Just ask veteran defenceman Mattias Ekholm.
“We all knew before the playoffs that if we were going to go anywhere Stuart was going to have to be on his game,” Ekholm said. “I give him a ton of credit. As tough of a series (as) that Vancouver (one was) — a Canada series — he has to let go of the starting position for two games. But not letting down, not just going back, working on yourself, coming back and then just playing the way he has right now is incredible.
“It’s great to see because Stuart’s journey in the playoffs has not just been straight.”
Skinner’s ability to overcome adversity is one of his stronger traits. Winger Connor Brown called him an “old soul” after Saturday’s win. What he meant is that the 25-year-old is mature beyond his years.
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There’s that. And then there’s the added layer of being the goaltender of a Canadian-based team — the one that he cheered for as a kid in the city where he was born and raised.
“That makes it more impressive,” Ekholm said. “I couldn’t imagine being in my hometown where I’m going to be the rest of my life and knowing that every time I walk out of my house, someone’s going to remember that. That’s a lot of pressure.
“For him to handle that the way he has is very impressive. We, in here, knew that we needed that to be able to compete. He’s shown up for that, and it’s been great.”
It’s not quite water off a duck’s back for Skinner. Now in his second playoff run, it’s becoming more like that with every day, every experience.
“I’ve been working here (to get better) for the last two years and there was pressure, especially at the beginning,” Skinner said. “But being able to play the last two years, it’s more so just very exciting.”
The stakes continue to rise, which means the saves get only more important from here.
And the Oilers expect their cerebral, mustachioed goaltender to be well-equipped to step up yet again.
“He’s taken the mindset of enjoying it all,” Kulak said. “That’s important as opposed to being overcome by pressure. That’s good to see because goalie’s the hardest position between the ears.
“He’s been the backbone of our playoff run.”
(Photo: Dave Sandford / NHLI via Getty Images)
