Do the Edmonton Oilers have a goalie problem? Diving deeper into Stuart Skinner's playoff performances

By Sam Nestler

Modified May 06, 2023 16:49 GMT

After beating the Los Angeles Kings in six games in round one, the Edmonton Oilers fell behind 1-0 in their second-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights.

While it is far from panic time, especially because the Oilers went down 1-0 to LA as well, there is one area that is very concerning: goaltending.

Stuart Skinner had an excellent rookie season in the NHL. The 24-year-old went 29-14-5 on his way to being nominated for the Calder Trophy, given to the best rookie in the league.

But in the playoffs, it has been a different story.

While Edmonton is more than capable of outscoring their opponents (they have essentially been doing it since Connor McDavid came into the league), that is not usually the formula for a deep playoff run.

Edmonton fell short last season in the Western Conference Final mainly because of their poor goaltending. The Colorado Avalanche scored 22 goals in their four-game sweep of the Oilers.

This playoff season, Skinner has provided bumpy results, to say the least.

In seven starts, Skinner has gone 3-3 with a .883 save percentage and a 3.68 goals-against average. That ranks him 12th among all goalies.

In Game 4 against the Kings, Skinner allowed three goals on just 11 shots before being replaced by Jack Campbell. Campbell led the Oilers to a comeback overtime victory and helped them avoid a 3-1 series hole.

Yet, Edmonton went right back with Skinner in Game 5. He responded with another average performance (.893 save percentage) but was good enough in Game 6 to get the Oilers into the second round.

"I learned a lot about myself, I learned a lot about what it takes to win a playoff series," he said following Game 6.

But in Game 1 vs Vegas, Skinner struggled again, allowing five goals on 33 shots.

Stuart Skinner's goaltending could cost the Edmonton Oilers in vital moments

Edmonton Oilers v Vegas Golden Knights

The real concern here is that the Edmonton Oilers have a team truly capable of winning the Stanley Cup.

Skinner is not on a club that scratched and clawed its way into the postseason and is simply happy to be here. He is on a Stanley Cup contender with two of the best players in the entire world.

Edmonton needs better goaltending and Skinner is capable of providing it. But can it he do it in his first Stanley Cup Playoffs after performing poorly through most of the seven games so far?

If he is not better in Game 2 on Saturday, do the Edmonton Oilers turn to Jack Campbell?