Post-Game Talk: Can we leave Stu in a California Closet?

[Canovin]

Even Dubs wants Pickard.

I would play Dubnyk for game 3

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I know. And I sort of agree it's a coping mechanism.

But I look at it this way - when I'm clearing out the front of the net and a player just crosschecked my D partner, whacked and jabbed 4x at my goalies before 'accidently' kneeing him in the head, i will not play the next or possible 2 games if said player skates away untouched. Why?
BECAUSE IT JUST CANT HAPPEN

I just wanted to look into this a bit to try to understand why. Seemed weird in the moment. Then to see some widespread criticism about it, I felt there needed to be have some reasonable explanation beyond Skinner as sociopath. lol.

Handling your business old school is fine. Different to scale it to NHL playoffs and a team expecting to win it all after Game 7 close last year followed by a largely regression this year and now flushing 2 down the toilet against a known opponent.

 

[RegDunlop]

Just read the PGT. That will answer your question in spades.

As if changing the goalie makes this team a contender.
LA is kicking their asses all over the ice.
I mean name one aspect of the first 2 games that the Oiler have won?

Correct. Changing G does not guarantee a win, especially when team plays like shit, however - like a QB change in football - it can make a hell of a difference

 

[Cloned]

2024 Oilers
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2025 Oilers
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If anyone suffers from priapism (look it up), the cure is watching Stuart Skinner play goal.

 

[BlackDogg]

If anyone suffers from priapism (look it up), the cure is watching Stuart Skinner play goal.

I did have to look that up actually.

 

[Soundwave]

People are twisitng themselves into pretzels trying to rationalize the claim that it was all goaltending.
Anything to deny the harsh reality that this team has major issues that dont end with Stuart Skinner.

It isn't all goaltending, but they showed a stat where Skinner now has the worst playoff save percentage of any playoff goalie who has more than 10 starts over the last 30 years.

He's the worst playoff goalie in the modern era of the NHL that keeps getting starts.

How many teams do you realistically think are going to have a recipe for success when they have literally the worst playoff goaltender of the last 30 years?

The Oilers org, media, and parts of the fanbase want to do the stupid "we're smartest person in the room" act well those folks are having that theory blow up in their face spectacularly. It's a borderline miracle to be honest that they've had some success the previous two years, mainly owing to the fact that they have the nuclear 1-2 option of McDavid-Drai, but other organizations would have already won a Cup or two, maybe even three given two players that good already.

 

[Jarvi]

Here's a sobering thought:



The Cup was ours for the taking in 2023 and 2024.

I'm telling you: Unprecedented. Historical. Mismanagement.

Yup, and look at who won those cups. Eichel and Tkachuk. You probably couldn't pick two players that it would burn Mcdavid more to see win. Actually, now that I think about it, the last 4 cup winners all have guys that McDavid probably compares himself to heavily in one way or another. Tkachuk for the BoA connection, Eichel for the draft, Mackinnon as the #1C of the nation and best player in the league talks, and Kucherov who is the closest to Connor as a pure offense generator imo.

Hold on, I'm gonna go put money on Toronto to win the cup, because it just fits so poetically at this point in what seems to be the hockey universe working against Oilers fans and players having nice things, and trying to make McDavid decide not to extend.

 

[guymez]

Even so, McDavid willed the team to tie it up in Game 1...and Stu let them down in typical fashion. If McDrai can't even win games on their own anymore, we really are f***ed.

Without McDavids heroics game one looks exactly like game 2.

Again...to suggest that this all falls at the feet of Skinner is nonsense.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

So who in for a class action for let say...

Misappropriation of resources, reckless endengerment of an NHL franchise and emotional damage to the collectively.

 

[Soundwave]

Without McDavids heroics game one looks exactly like game 2.

Again...to suggest that this all falls at the feet of Skinner is nonsense.

Having the worst save percentage of any goalie in the modern NHL era (last 30 years) who has more than 10 starts does fall at Stu's feet.

He's the worst modern playoff "starter" and I use the term "starter" lightly.

 

[RegDunlop]

I just wanted to look into this a bit to try to understand why. Seemed weird in the moment. Then to see some widespread criticism about it, I felt there needed to be have some reasonable explanation beyond Skinner as sociopath. lol.

Handling your business old school is fine. Different to scale it to NHL playoffs and a team expecting to win it all after Game 7 close last year followed by a largely regression this year and now flushing 2 down the toilet against a known opponent.

Oh no I'm in agreement. I do let me oldschool fruit hang too low too often also but I felt the gesture went way too far. Two things for me - Stu could've done his resetting protocol while skating to corner as most do. Looking down smiling, dancing...all of it. Secondly... not sure if it was you or another poster saying it was for him in a private moment, I'm not buying that. His mannerisms and mechanisms have been well documented and in fact discussed by him.

Plus... it may also be oldschool but I'm a believer in the fact that if you're being paid millions of dollars and people are paying a lot of money to watch you perform, then you don't have the luxury of privacy during that time frame.

Anyway...cheers. I'm off. Big win to get prepared for tomorrow!!

 

[McFlyingV]

Obviously I'd prefer the Oilers get going and come back in this series. I don't think they will, but lets hope the silver lining is this group finally gets some rest to heal up, and hopefully this means a big change at the goalie position. Hopefully some combination of the Europe/NCAA signings, Savoie, Beryozkin, and Philp can give this team some sort of injection of youth, speed and skill next year.

Honestly I think rest/health and a good starting goalie would do wonders for this group.

 

[Oilhawks]

Without McDavids heroics game one looks exactly like game 2.

Again...to suggest that this all falls at the feet of Skinner is nonsense.

That sounds like absolving poor Stuart from any blame

He had two bad series his first playoffs (LA and Vegas), one terrible series last year (Canucks) and another mediocre one in the Finals

Worst goalie these playoffs

How is he not at all to blame for the results thus far?

Games are not played in a vacuum, a leaky goalie effects the play of the entire team

 

[guymez]

Correct. Changing G does not guarantee a win, especially when team plays like shit, however - like a QB change in football - it can make a hell of a difference

In reality nothing guarantees a win.

Unlike a QB a teams goalie has no impact on their offence. In last night sgame the Oilers didnt force Kuemper to make one tough save the entire game.
That doesnt just include 5x5.
The Kings PK owned the Oilers offence even with the 2 best players in the NHL on the Oilers PP.

The identity of this team is offence and aside from McDavid going super nova in game one this team hasnt pissed a drop.

 

[Soundwave]

That sounds like absolving poor Stuart from any blame

He had two bad series his first playoffs (LA and Vegas), one terrible series last year (Canucks) and another mediocre one in the Finals

Worst goalie these playoffs

How is he not at all to blame for the results thus far?

Games are not played in a vacuum, a leaky goalie affects the play of the entire team

He has the worst save percentage in the playoffs of any modern NHL "playoff starter".

It's not just "these playoffs", it's his entire playoff body of work.

He's the worst of the worst, now watch someone try to twist themselves into a pretzel to say save percentage doesn't matter.

 

[oobga]

This morning they were talking to Smid about how teams can slump when they lose faith in their goalies and maybe goalies do the same when they lose faith in their team and he was like “uhhh im not a goalie but uhhh, yeah, that doesn’t happen” they were trying so hard to make it a thing and he wouldn’t bite.
But he did say players absolutely play worse when they don’t trust their goalies.

Skinner losing faith in himself is what probably drags the most on the rest of the team. Fake smiles don't hide it, they can all see Skinner lose any second efforts and look like he's stuck in the mud.

Org seriously needs to make sure we avoid goalies with super fragile confidence ... if we ever get serious and try to actually fix our goaltending. Last try we somehow found a way to give 5x5M to one of the top 3 most mentally fragile goalies of the last decade. I'm just assuming there were some more fragile than Campbell, but maybe he was actually #1.

 

[MessierThanThou]

Without McDavids heroics game one looks exactly like game 2.

Again...to suggest that this all falls at the feet of Skinner is nonsense.

I hope you’re not implying that Skinner doesn’t deserve any blame for that loss… The goalie currently sitting in dead last for Goals Saved Above Expected this postseason.

 

[guymez]

That sounds like absolving poor Stuart from any blame

He had two bad series his first playoffs (LA and Vegas), one terrible series last year (Canucks) and another mediocre one in the Finals

Worst goalie these playoffs

How is he not at all to blame for the results thus far?

Games are not played in a vacuum, a leaky goalie effects the play of the entire team

Actually its nothing like that. With all due respect that just a projection on your part.

I guess my outrage just isnt at the same level because the lens I am looking through isnt isolated just on the goalie.

I mean show me one poist where I absolve Skinner of anything.

 

[Oilhawks]

Obviously I'd prefer the Oilers get going and come back in this series. I don't think they will, but lets hope the silver lining is this group finally gets some rest to heal up, and hopefully this means a big change at the goalie position. Hopefully some combination of the Europe/NCAA signings, Savoie, Beryozkin, and Philp can give this team some sort of injection of youth, speed and skill next year.

Honestly I think rest/health and a good starting goalie would do wonders for this group.

Yup, a real starter, some youth coming in with those signings, Savoie and Philp (assuming the coach actually gives them some life time) and a vet or two out for a better vet forward. Maybe another D but I’d see how the group gels along with some of the prospects

 

[Soundwave]

In reality nothing guarantees a win.

Unlike a QB a teams goalie has no impact on their offence. In last night sgame the Oilers didnt force Kuemper to make one tough save the entire game.
That doesnt just include 5x5.
The Kings PK owned the Oilers offence even with the 2 best players in the NHL on the Oilers PP.

The identity of this team is offence and aside from McDavid going super nova in game one this team hasnt pissed a drop.

The identity of the team is two of the greatest modern players surrounded by a bunch of crap due to piss drunk management groups. You get the highs and these lows that come with that, can't have one without the other.

Until this team gets competent management that is serious and sober, it is what it is.

 

[guymez]

I hope you’re not implying that Skinner doesn’t deserve any blame for that loss… The goalie currently sitting in dead last for Goals Saved Above Expected this postseason.

Not one post has made that claim.

Skinner hasnt been good enough IMO. I have never said anything different.
I am just not entertaining the hyperbole on here that suggests the problems begin and end with Skinner.

If the regular season and the first 2 games of the playoffs mean anything then this team just isnt good enough...even with a better goalie. The offence sans McDavid has been impotent.

This defence especially without Ekholm isnt good enough.
Just isolate on Nurse and Bouchard in game 2.

What am I missing?

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Oh no I'm in agreement. I do let me oldschool fruit hang too low too often also but I felt the gesture went way too far. Two things for me - Stu could've done his resetting protocol while skating to corner as most do. Looking down smiling, dancing...all of it. Secondly... not sure if it was you or another poster saying it was for him in a private moment, I'm not buying that. His mannerisms and mechanisms have been well documented and in fact discussed by him.

Plus... it may also be oldschool but I'm a believer in the fact that if you're being paid millions of dollars and people are paying a lot of money to watch you perform, then you don't have the luxury of privacy during that time frame.

Anyway...cheers. I'm off. Big win to get prepared for tomorrow!!

I hate the dancing and head bobs. Seems contrived and phoney. Can't watch Skinners interviews either. Just seems like a duck on water looking cool and chilled while paddling frantically below the surface. However he's only in this situation because the big money Plan A couldn't hack the pressure of driving Edmonton's late arriving winning window. Management then ignored this critical position need to blow their money everywhere else while repeatedly spinning their belief in Skinner.

I wanted to try to understand the player's strange reaction. It was a raw, vulnerable moment where I think we saw the fragile 'confidence' mask slip to see the hard paddle being done to try to deliver competent puck stopping on a very leaky team with everyone's expectation of winning a Cup.

 

[Soundwave]

Sorry typo but I believe it's for goalies who have 30 games or more of playoff experience (so basically a starter's work load through multiple playoffs) ... Skinner is the worst in the modern history of the NHL.

.889 is the lowest save percentage for any "starter" in the past 30 years (so basically the modern NHL era).

So it isn't "aw Stu is just in a bit of a funk" .... no, no. He is statistically the worst NHL starting playoff goalie of the modern era. Those are the facts.

 

[rboomercat90]

Jeez, Gage on EST is saying that he’s gotten pulled like that before and it was to get him out so he can come back fresher and play the next game.

I think our fans will riot if Skinner starts game 3.

There was no logical reason to start Skinner in game 2 after his performance not only in game 1 but based on his body of work in the last half of the season. Not to mention he suffered a concussion late in the season and missed a bunch of games for that too. Yet they still gave him the start. Until I see Pickard in the net on Friday I’m going to assume it’ll still be Skinner.

 

[MessierThanThou]

Not one post has made that claim.

Skinner hasnt been good enough IMO. I have never said anything different.
I am just not entertaining the hyperbole on here that suggests the problems begin and end with Skinner.

If the regular season and the first 2 games of the playoffs mean anything then this team just isnt good enough...even with a better goalie.

This defence especially without Ekholm isnt good enough.
Just isolate on Nurse and Bouchard in game 2.

Where is this proof of anyone saying Skinner is solely to blame here? Now… Is he one of the biggest problems though? Absolutely. Just like he was at this time last year and this time the year before that. And he even had Ekholm there to protect him.