On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
There was a very telling quote recently from Stuart Skinner, after the Edmonton Oilers goaltender backstopped his team to a 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round series.
Skinner, who had been the subject of intense criticism after going 0-3 with a goals-against average (GAA) of 5.62 and save percentage (SV%) of .817 over his first three starts this postseason, was asked by a reporter if he’d found it difficult to block out the outside noise, especially in a city that lives and dies with its hockey team.
“What outside noise? I had no idea. No clue what’s going on,” he said before moving on to the next question without missing a beat.
The 26-year-old’s response came with a wry smile, a slight gleam in his eye, and just enough sense of deadpan: Of course, he knew about the outside noise. He genuinely just doesn’t care.
That’s the perfect demeanor for a netminder in the Oil Country fishbowl and is exactly why Skinner has been able to completely turn things around this postseason. He followed up his Game 4 shutout by blanking Vegas again in Game 5, this time in overtime, as Edmonton eliminated the Golden Knights with a 1-0 victory to reach the Western Conference Final for a second straight spring. The Oilers will face either the Dallas Stars or Winnipeg Jets in the next round.
In doing so, Skinner became just the third netminder with back-to-back postseason shutouts as an Oiler. He’s currently played 127:20 of consecutive game time without allowing a goal, the fourth-longest such streak in Edmonton’s Stanley Cup Playoff history.
Bouncing Back From Game 3 Disaster
Skinner had every reason to feel at his absolute lowest just one week ago, in the wake of Game 3 against the Golden Knights on May 10. That night marked Skinner’s first action since being pulled in favour of Calvin Pickard during Edmonton’s first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.
Pickard had won six consecutive starts, as the Oilers went from trailing Los Angeles 2-0 in Round 1 to leading Vegas 2-0 in Round 2. In the process, Pickard seized the starter’s role and earned the confidence of Oil Country. But the veteran was sidelined after suffering an undisclosed injury during Game 2 against Vegas, leading to Skinner’s return. Game 3 offered Skinner an opportunity at redemption. It turned out to be anything but.
With the score tied 3-3 in the dying seconds, Skinner came way out of his net to challenge Reilly Smith. The Vegas forward fired a desperation shot that appeared to be headed wide but was deflected by Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, who was in the crease covering for Skinner, and just crossed the goal line with 0.4 seconds left.
Smith’s tally was only the third instance in Stanley Cup Playoff history of a go-ahead goal being scored in the final second of regulation. It sucked the air out of Rogers Place and inspired a new level of vitriol directed at Skinner.
Skinner: Always Calm and Composed
When he spoke to the media following the disastrous end to Game 3, Skinner was his usual even-keeled self, telling reporters that “things happen: good bounces, tough bounces; it happens for everybody, so we’ll just move forward.”
It was typical Skinner. Calm and composed, he’ll shrug off even the most gut-wrenching defeat, which is the textbook definition of what Game 3 was.
To some, it can seem like Skinner doesn’t really care. His deportment has drawn the ire of those who want to see more fire out of the goalie. But while that might work for some, it’s not Skinner’s nature. Besides, it’s Skinner’s nature that has made him a Western Hockey League (WHL) champion, NHL All-Star, Calder Trophy finalist, and Stanley Cup Final starter. Skinner not getting upset should not be mistaken for his not taking things seriously.
Skinner’s Been Here Before
Skinner’s turnaround is absolutely remarkable while being completely unsurprising to those who have followed his career.
From being yo-yoed between the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL) earlier in his career to getting benched in the middle of the postseason, nothing rattles Skinner nor shakes his confidence. In fact, this isn’t even the first time he’s had to pick himself up from the mat during the playoffs.
After hitting a rough patch against the Vancouver Canucks during Round 2 last year, Skinner sat out a pair of games while Pickard went 1-1. With Edmonton facing elimination down 3-2, Skinner returned to the net and proceeded to backstop the Oilers not only to a come-from-behind series win against Vancouver, but on a run all the way to Game 7 of the championship series, posting a stellar 2.05 GAA and .914 SV% over 15 consecutive starts during that span.
Could Skinner be poised to do something similar this year? Edmonton’s crease will be his for at least a couple more games: on Friday (May 16), Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said that Pickard is day-to-day, and the 33-year-old goaltender’s return would be “sometime in the middle” of the Western Conference Final. A start date for that series is yet to be announced.
Skinner isn’t the most skilled netminder in the world, and he’s certainly not the most consistent. He could very well have another rough spell before this spring turns to summer. But if he does, he’ll bounce back. No one is better at dealing with the trials and tribulations of being Oil Country’s last line of defence.
More must-reads:
- Blue Jackets sign former first-round pick to professional tryout
- Red Wings set to finally honor franchise legend Sergei Fedorov
- The '2024 NFL rushing TD leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Jack Roslovic's waiting game may have cost him potential contract offer
Free agent Jack Roslovic’s waiting game may have cost him a potential contract offer from one team. The Canucks have “cooled off on pursuing” the top remaining UFA, writes The Athletic’s Thomas Drance. There were talks between the Canucks and Roslovic’s camp last month, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic said at the time, leaving them as one of a small list of confirmed suitors. It wasn’t without precedent, either. Vancouver had approached Roslovic last summer as well, before he ended up taking a one-year, $2.8M contract with the Hurricanes. That deal saw him tie his career-high of 22 goals in 81 games while also seeing more time at center than he did in 2023-24, likely sparking some optimism that he could help fill out the Canucks’ underwhelming depth down the middle. Nonetheless, it appears Vancouver’s braintrust has now pivoted to only pursuing long-term solutions to supplement anchor Elias Pettersson and, ideally, injury-prone but high-ceiling Filip Chytil in a top-nine role. “Vancouver is still in the market to land a centre, but the trade market is viewed as a more likely and realistic route of addressing the club’s greatest remaining need,” Drance said. “Vancouver would execute a trade today if the deal returned a credible middle-six centre — even if that centre had more of a defensive bent to their game.” The Canucks still have $3.27M in cap space left to facilitate a deal, per PuckPedia. As for Roslovic, he’s getting into crunch time with only one-year deals and PTOs available for most everyone at this point of the offseason. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in early August that there were five teams with legitimate interest in him but that he was taking his time to make a decision. Even with that intrigue and proven top-nine capability without much risk of regression — he’s still just 28 — a multiyear pact may simply be out of reach for him at this point. At the beginning of the summer, AFP Analytics projected him to receive a three-year deal worth north of $4M per season. With the way the market has broken, though, he might need to settle for another one-year deal at a comparable value to last year’s $2.8M cap hit.
Shaquille O'Neal makes peace with longtime enemy — mostly
Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard patched things up Sunday after years of feuding. But even while describing their rapprochement, O'Neal couldn't keep from teasing his longtime nemesis. The "Big Aristotle" was at the BIG3 playoffs Sunday to watch Howard's L.A. Riot play the Chicago Triplets. In the middle of describing to Rachel Nichols how he and Howard had made peace, O'Neal broke off his explanation to make fun of Howard for missing a dunk. The two Hall of Fame centers had sparred for years, despite their common ground as former members of the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. Some of the tension seemed to be due to Howard adopting O'Neal's "Superman" nickname, though O'Neal claimed to Nichols that he was simply being tough on Howard to motivate him. That explanation doesn't account for the time O'Neal mocked Howard for playing basketball in the Taiwanese league or the decade-plus he's spent roasting Howard on his podcast, in public appearances and on "Inside the NBA." Still, it appears that the two have made peace. Despite O'Neal being left off the original list of presenters, he insisted that he'll be among a group of Hall of Famers inducting Howard Sept. 6, including Dominique Wilkins, Robert Parish, Dennis Rodman and Patrick Ewing. It means that two of the most dominant big men of their eras have finally buried the hatchet. It's added a new level of interest to the Hall of Fame ceremonies, and it should be a sweet moment between O'Neal and Howard. As long as Howard doesn't mention Superman.
Aaron Judge seemed annoyed with Aaron Boone over troubling health update
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone offered a concerning update on Tuesday about Aaron Judge's recovery from an elbow injury, and the slugger did not seem thrilled about that. Judge returned to the Yankees' lineup on Aug. 5 following a 10-day stint on the injured list. The two-time American League MVP had a flexor strain in his throwing elbow, and he has been slotted in as New York's designated hitter since he returned. In an interview with WFAN on Tuesday morning, Boone said he does not believe that Judge will get back to "throwing like he normally does" at any point for the remainder of the season. Judge was caught off guard by his manager's remarks. Before Tuesday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Judge told reporters that he is unsure of why Boone provided the pessimistic update. "I don’t know why he said that. He hasn’t seen me throw the past two weeks," Judge said. "I’m pretty confident I’ll get back to that.” Boone later admitted that he may have misspoken during the WFAN interview. Many were surprised by the apparent disconnect between Judge and Boone. It is possible that what Boone said in the initial interview was accurate, and Judge did not want that information to be made public. The alternative is that Boone is not completely up to speed on his best player's recovery from an injury, which would be a bad look for the manager. Judge is batting .333 with 39 home runs and 91 RBI this season. His bat is far more important to the Yankees than his glove, but he has struggled at the plate a bit since returning. Judge is batting just .229 with a .429 slugging percentage in 11 games since he came off the injured list.
MLB sends message by suspending Victor Robles for bat-throwing incident
Major League Baseball announced that Mariners outfielder Víctor Robles has received a 10-game suspension and an undisclosed fine from the league. The suspension will begin as soon as Robles is reinstated from the injured list, though Robles has filed an appeal and the suspension is being held in abeyance until the appeals process is complete. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reported these details prior to the official announcement. Divish notes that the M’s would have to play a man short during the suspension. Robles has been on the injured list for most of the year. Back in early April, he made a sensational catch in San Francisco but crashed into the sideline netting and dislocated his left shoulder, causing a small fracture in the humeral head of said shoulder. A week ago, he was finally able to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma. During that week, he was hit by pitches multiple times, as shown in this video breakdown from Jomboy Media. Although he was hit five times, only three of them were technically counted as hit-by-pitches, with the other two counting as swings. Regardless, the final incident saw Robles hit by Joey Estes of the Las Vegas Aviators. Of the five times Robles was hit, three of them were out of the hand of Estes, though the final two were counted as swinging strikes. Regardless of how it was scored, Robles was clearly upset and threw his bat toward the pitcher’s mound. It doesn’t appear as though it hit Estes or anyone else, but MLB is understandably taking a firm stance against a player using his bat in this dangerous manner and sending Robles a message. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke to members of the media, including Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, noting that the club tentatively planned to reinstate Robles from the IL next week but those plans may change with the suspension. Divish suggests that perhaps the best plan is to reinstate Robles on Sept. 1, so that the M’s can at least play with a 27-man roster, though that would push his reinstatement into the middle of September. Reinstating him earlier would mean playing with a 25-man roster for a while, though that would also mean Robles would be able to be reinstated for more games. It’s also unclear how long the appeals process will take. Sometimes, players appealing a suspension will hang in limbo until their team goes to New York, where the MLB head offices are located. The M’s don’t play in New York again this year, so it’s not clear when the appeal would be scheduled for. Robles being in the minors could also complicate factors. The M’s would surely love for the appeal to drag out into the winter and for Robles to serve his suspension next year, since they are currently in a playoff race, though MLB presumably wouldn’t let it play out like that.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
