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Despite benching, we might not have seen the last of Oilers goalkeeper
Edmonton Oilers goalkeeper Stuart Skinner's topsy-turvy 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs continued on Saturday when Oilers head coached Kris Knoblauch confirmed Calvin Pickard will start in net during a pivotal Stanley Cup Final Game 5 against the Florida Panthers.
In a postseason run that has been anything but ordinary, chances are the saga isn't over yet.
Skinner struggled in the first four games of the series, allowing an average of four goals per game and posting a 86% save percentage.
The five-year veteran was pulled during the first intermission of Game 4 after allowing three goals. During the second and third periods and overtime, Pickard had 22 saves on 23 shot attempts as Edmonton outscored Florida, 5-1, and evened the series at two games apiece.
Pickard earned the right to start Game 5, but Skinner should stay prepared.
As team captain Connor McDavid noted, the Oilers didn't do much to help Skinner.
"I don't think Stu was at fault for any of the goals the other night," McDavid said, per ESPN NHL reporter Greg Wyshynski.
"I think it was victim of circumstance and Picks came in and gave us a chance," he added.
To McDavid's point, if the Oilers continue racking up penalties and giving the Panthers power play opportunities, Pickard could struggle just as much as Skinner.
The Panthers broke the seal in Game 4 with a 5-v-3 goal, and their second goal came following Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm's high-sticking penalty against Panthers forward Brad Marchand.
Florida had 11 power play opportunities, including one 5-v-3, in Game 3's 6-1 romp, converting three into a goal.
Edmonton's skaters didn't make Skinner's job any easier, and if they give the Panthers advantageous situations against Pickard, Florida will likely capitalize.
Knoblauch also shared the decision to bench Skinner wasn't easy based on his performances the deeper a playoff series goes.
"It's just how well he's played in the second half of a series," Knoblauch told reporters after Game 4.
"Here's a guy that's going to just continue to get better as this series goes on. Hopefully, we've got a few more games where he can stand up and play really well," Knoblauch added.
Skinner had consecutive shutouts in Games 4 and 5 of the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights. Since the start of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Skinner had 15 Games 4-7 starts before his disastrous first period against the Panthers.
Per Stathead data, in those 15 previous late-series games, Skinner had a .941 save percentage, and the Oilers were 14-1, with their only loss in Game 7 of last season's Stanley Cup Final.
More must-reads:
- Stanley Cup Final takeaways: Oilers may have shifted series with stunning comeback
- 25 great NHL teams that somehow didn't win the Stanley Cup
- The 'Last Stanley Cup Playoff shutout for each NHL franchise' quiz
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