LeBrun: Nobody demands perfection from Stuart Skinner — but this is the version the Oilers need

New York Times

26-05-2025

EDMONTON — The harsh view of Stuart Skinner is that he's like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.
Brilliance on some nights, not so much on others.
The more positive view is that there's also a chance you're seeing the most confident version of the Edmonton Oilers netminder, timed up perfectly with the most crucial time of the year.
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The Oilers are two wins away from a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final, courtesy of Skinner's outstanding performance in their Game 3 victory over Dallas on Sunday afternoon, and perhaps the last question mark about this seasoned playoff roster is being answered.
Perhaps. Just not 100 percent for sure. Because if there's one comment that gets reiterated the most when I talk to people with other NHL teams about the Oilers surging in this playoff run, it's whether they can get the better version of Skinner just long enough to pull this whole thing off.
'I get why they think that,' Martin Brodeur, the NHL's all-time winningest netminder, told The Athletic via text message Sunday when asked about Skinner's doubters. 'But in wins, he's been great. It's a grind for goalies in the playoffs. The reset really helped him out. Finally found his groove now. It's amazing how people are critical of goalies in conference finals. It's quite an achievement to get there; only four guys still standing after all.'
Another Hockey Hall of Fame goalie, five-time Stanley Cup champion, Grant Fuhr, said via text: 'I do think he has steadied things down. It looks a lot like last year, where he had some tough games but was very resilient and bounced back.'
It reminds me a bit of Darcy Kuemper with the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. No one was expecting him to be the single biggest reason that the Avs reached the promised land; he just needed to be steady enough not to drop a grenade on their journey.
On Sunday afternoon at Rogers Place, the Oilers got more than what they normally need from Skinner. He stole some big moments in the middle of the game, when the Oilers were being outplayed by the Stars. He was named the game's first star for his 33-save effort. He was spectacular by any measure in his team's 6-1 win.
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'I thought we were fortunate to be up after 40 (minutes), but I thought Stu did a great job,' said Oilers superstar captain Connor McDavid. 'We played really solid in front of him in Game 2 and not so solid tonight. He gave us a chance to get our legs into it. And gave us a chance to win.'
That included a 21-shot barrage in the second period by the Stars, who could only beat him once. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Stars had a 16-4 scoring-chance advantage in the middle period.
'They brought a ton of speed, they got a lot of O-zone time, had some good chances,' Skinner said. 'At that point, we're just trying to keep things at zero, keep things at bay. We knew that was going to happen. They were down 2-0 at that point and we knew they were going to come out hard and give everything that they had. They definitely did that. They were definitely the better team in the second period.'
The body language in the last two games has said it all. Skinner is feeling it. A shutout in Game 2, a big-time performance in Game 3. Can he keep it rolling?
'I wish I felt it all the time,' Skinner said of being in that zone right now. 'That's just something that comes with it. For myself, coming out of last game, too, I felt really good. I'm just trying to do my best to keep that going.'
Just over a month ago, he lost the net after being pumped for 11 goals in the opening two games of the first-round series against the Kings.
An injury to Calvin Pickard re-opened the door for Skinner on May 10. He hasn't looked back.
'Having (to sit) on the bench for a while seems to be a pretty good remedy for lots of players,' an NHL goalie coach said via text message Sunday. 'I also believe that a goalie in today's game, especially, is largely a function of his team, and (the Oilers) must be playing a very solid defensive game.'
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I asked Skinner on Sunday if that time on the bench, while agonizing, allowed him to reset and come back with some confidence.
'I felt confident before, but yeah, that's the life of an NHL goaltender,' he said. 'Picks was fantastic coming in, obviously. It gave me a chance to work on some things. Clear the head a little bit. But yeah, I've been confident the whole time, even when I came back — first game we lost and I let in four (goals). I let in five against Dallas (in Game 1). It hasn't all been perfect.''
No one's asking for perfection. Just a steady presence back there.
One thing that's apparent from being around the Oilers the last few years is how much his teammates cheer for this guy.
'Everybody has times where you feel good about your job and times when you don't, and it just amplifies when it's the goalie because he's the last line of defense,' Oilers winger Zach Hyman said. 'For him to be able to battle back the way he has is just really impressive. I think a lot of people were counting him out. He came in again and has been phenomenal and he's a big reason we're up 2-1.'
Skinner is probably the most polarizing player for the Oilers' fan base. Large sections of fans wanted a goalie upgrade before the March 7 trade deadline. Oilers general manager Stan Bowman never really tried. He believed his goaltending was good enough. But there also was the question of where exactly this goalie upgrade might come from. Name a top-10 goalie in the NHL who was available.
Was John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks going to be an upgrade? He was willing to come to Edmonton, but the Oilers' front office didn't see a guaranteed upgrade there.
So they stuck with Skinner and Pickard, both of whom have won big games in these playoffs.
And the one thing the Oilers know is that Skinner has the ability to bounce back from shaky performances.
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'Last year, I was impressed that when he did have a bad game, how well he responded right away,' Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Sunday when asked what he's learned from Skinner since he got here last season. 'That's not easy for any player, especially the goalie. And a goalie in his hometown in this market, I think he's done a really good job. …
'Just impressed (how) he manages the expectations, playing in front of a good team. Yeah, when we do need him, he comes through,' Knoblauch said.
'And tonight, there was a lot of work for him. He was busy.'
A year ago, Skinner outplayed Jake Oettinger in the Western Conference final. Three games into this series, the same trend is developing, although Oettinger can quickly change that script Tuesday night in Game 4.
'Listen, we wouldn't be sitting here in the conference finals without Jake Oettinger and how he's played,' Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said when asked about his goalie's performance. 'Tonight was one of those games where they were opportunistic and once they got the lead, we're pushing to get back in and there's grade-As going the other way. One thing I know about Jake Oettinger, for me, he's one of the best response goalies in the league. I know he's not going to drag around tonight's game.''
I suspect DeBoer is right about that. The Stars' goalie will bounce back.
But if Skinner stays dialed in, will it matter? Have the Oilers really put all the pieces together?
'Yes,' said a rival Western Conference team executive via text message Sunday. 'I think they win it all. They will be more prepared for Florida this time.'
Whoa, there's still lots of hockey left in this Western Conference final. But that gives you an idea of the impression the Oilers are making right now.
(Photo of Stuart Skinner: Codie McLachlan / Getty Images)