Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Moody McDavid Burns Skinner Haters After Series Win Over Vegas

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jim Parsons | Last updated May 15, 2025 11:35 AM ET

A very moody and straight-forward Connor McDavid spoke with the media following the Edmonton Oilers’ 1-0 overtime win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday. The Oilers eliminated the Golden Knights, and the win should have put the captain in a great mood, but McDavid was all business. He commented that the team was being questioned about their ability to play defense and the talent of goaltender Stuart Skinner.

What Did McDavid Say About Skinner?

Skinner posted his second straight shutout in the win. He’s bounced back incredibly well, not allowing a goal in Games 4 and 5, and really, most of Game 3 — it was Leon Draisaitl who put the puck in his own net to give Vegas the Game 3 victory.

When asked about how Skinner has rebounded, McDavid said, “Hopefully it shuts a lot of people up that were talking about him.” McDavid wasn’t impressed that Skinner was getting a lot of flack among members of the media and the fan base who had lost faith in the Oilers’ starter. Skinner has proven he’s capable, taking the team to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season. He has a tendency to be inconsistent, but he almost always returns to form.

Skinner has now made deciding who to run with in the Western Conference Final a bit more difficult. If Calvin Pickard is healthy and ready, he’s earned the right for consideration. But, how do you not run with the guy who just earned the team shutout wins in two critical playoff games?

McDavid Says Oilers Can Play Defense

When asked about how the team won Game 5, McDavid wasn’t impressed with the insinuation that the Oilers can’t play defense to win a game — or at least the surprise among media members that Edmonton is comfortable playing that way. “I mean, how many times are we going to answer this question, really?” McDavid clapped back. “Honestly, it’s frustrating that we keep talking about this. We can defend.”

“We’ve shown that time and time again. Come into a tough building and win a 1-0 game when it matters most. We can play that way, we can score goals, whatever it takes, we can win games.”

A prime example in Game 5 was McDavid’s backtrack to break up a 2-on-1 opportunity for Vegas, interrupting the play but also going crashing into the boards. There was concern that McDavid might have been hurt on the play but he didn’t miss a shift after the series and eventually started to look like his dangerous self as the third period and overtime began.

McDavid is tired of this team being doubted, and he appears exclusively focused on the end result.

“There’s probably a lot of people that thought it was gonna go longer than five, and probably not a lot of people that thought we would win. It’s nice to keep on rolling and proving people wrong,” said McDavid.

The Oilers will play the winner of the series between the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets, and you can bet Edmonton will need to excel in both offensive and defensive hockey to get back into the Cup Final.