Help Stuart Skinner Get His Mojo Back
Edmonton fans were reminded of an uncomfortable feeling against the Vancouver Canucks. Primary netminder Stuart Skinner was chased from the net following an 11-for-15 save effort in Game 3, yielding a disastrous 73.3% save percentage. Although Skinner returned to the crease at the end of the second-round series, the Oilers need to help their goalie stay calm, cool, and collected in his crease.
The Oilers don't need reminding of just how bad things can get when Skinner isn't at his best. The Calder Trophy runner-up posted save percentages below 88.9% in six of his first eight starts this regular season, winning just one of those starts. Kris Knoblauch recognized this spiral early against Vancouver, yanking Skinner from the blue paint before things went sideways.
Now, the challenge is to ensure Skinner is operating at an elite level on the biggest stage. Whether it's playing with more structure in the defensive end, clearing sight lines, or overloading one side of the ice to keep Stars' shooters on Skinner's glove side, the Oilers need to help Skinner be at his best.
