The Edmonton Oilers are trailing in their series against the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 after losing Game 3 by a score of 4-3. What seems to be evident is that Stuart Skinner is not the goaltender who can lead the Oilers to the Stanley Cup.
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Through the first three games of the series with the Canucks, Skinner has given up 12 goals and has a .789 save percentage to go along with a 4.63 goals-against average. And going back to the last game of the series against the Los Angeles Kings, Skinner has given up 15 goals in his last four games.
Stuart Skinner is who we thought he was. This time there is no Jack Campbell. Defensively the Oilers should be better but also target Edmonton's problem when it matters most. #letsgooilers @FullPressNHL pic.twitter.com/YVVCdmIhLm
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) May 13, 2024
Skinner performed well against the Kings in Games 3 and 4 of the first round series against the Kings. In both of those games, he was the reason the Oilers won. Not to mention the Oilers power play is automatic. Skinner had a .962 save percentage in Game 3 and a 1.000 save percentage in Game 4, leading to the shutout.
Skinner recorded a sub-.900 save percentage outside of those two games. That's not good enough to win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Oilers don't have the defense that the Colorado Avalanche had in 2022 when Darcy Kuemper played defense with offense.
Through eight games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Stuart Skinner has a 5-3 record with a 3.22 goals-against average and a .877 save percentage. Those numbers won't do it when the lights are too bright.
However, this is the same picture the Oilers have seen play out for years in the playoffs. When they needed saving, it just wasn't there. First, it was Mike Smith. Now, it's Stuart Skinner.
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As we saw last year in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring was the reason for not advancing, in addition to the Golden Knights turning the Oilers into a two-man game again.
If the Oilers are not playing the Kings, they are struggling. We can say that the Vancouver Canucks are a much less talented team than the Vegas Golden Knights, but let's face it, a lot of people picked Edmonton over Vancouver in this series because of what they saw in Round 1.
But there's a reason the Canucks won the Pacific Division and are 6-1 against the Oilers this year (playoffs and regular season included). If Vancouver needs savings, they get it. When the Oilers need to save, they don't.
Stuart Skinner is a great goaltender in the NHL. He was an All-Star, but that name no longer applies. He is still an All-Star, but the Oilers have failed to make a goaltending change as their season is on the brink.
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Remember, the Kings had the Oilers on the edge before Jack Campbell saved Edmonton's season in Game 4 of Round 1. The only action Campbell saw in the second round of the playoffs against Vegas was three relief appearances. He stopped 22 of 23 shots, allowing one goal. Campbell never saw a start in the series.
We know Campbell's story this season and Stuart Skinner's struggles. However, with Campbell in Edmonton, it may be time for the Oilers to take a look at him. There's a reason why he was given a five-year, $25 million contract with a $5 million AAV.
Skinner knows he needs more saves for the Oilers to win. Just go back to Game 1 when the Oilers took a 4-1 lead over the Canucks. One stop, and the Oilers would have won Game 1. But it's the same old story about Edmonton in the playoffs.
Their goal continues to disappoint them. Stuart Skinner has shown the ability to step up, but maybe it's time for a different look in Edmonton because this isn't working.
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