Player Discussion Stuart Skinner

[Drivesaitl]

And his apologists on here, swear he should of won the Conn Smyth

Skinner must have every relative and California Closets employee posting here. Have never seen so much love for such an ordinary goalie. But everybody quick to blame two of the greatest Oilers players ever. That last part is what gets me everytime. the Oilers wouldn't be anything without McDrai.

 

[McJadeddog]

He made a key save when it was 2-1 that would've made it 2-2.

Yeah, Skinner played exceptionally well that night, and I think "Got yer back" podcast might have even given him the relentless player of the game that night? If they didn't, they certainly talked him up as being a deciding factor for this play when the game was still in question. I mark Skinner harshly when he falters, so I gotta him him cred when its due, and it was 100% due that game, and it wasn't shown in the final score.

It's a game of inches that we could have easily won with one or two bounces going our way, but people are so eager to bring their knives out to blame their whipping boys afterwards. Pretty peak HFOil.

Yup, if that Bouch clapper is 1 inch to the right in the 2nd period, we have a 2-1 lead and the entire game is different. That is the luck of hockey.

 

[Zguy370]

Skinner must have every relative and California Closets employee posting here. Have never seen so much love for such an ordinary goalie. But everybody quick to blame two of the greatest Oilers players ever. That last part is what gets me everytime. the Oilers wouldn't be anything without McDrai.

Exactly, it's reasonable to assume that he must have a helluva lot of friends here . Of course his followers will always crap at McDrai when they loose for not doing enough to bail Skinner out for those brain fart goals he gives up

 

[Frank Drebin]

I don’t understand how anyone watching the game last night thinks Skinner was the reason why we lost.

And people thinking bob was much better this series? Did you people not watch the last 3 games?

The problem is when the guy at the other end has an average or poor series you should have a pretty easy chance of winning.

But that is the way the team is constructed. Offense first.

Skinner must have every relative and California Closets employee posting here. Have never seen so much love for such an ordinary goalie. But everybody quick to blame two of the greatest Oilers players ever. That last part is what gets me everytime. the Oilers wouldn't be anything without McDrai.

I don't know, I've been pretty hard on Skinner in the past but I thought he had played reasonably well since about half way through the dallas series.

I don't think hes a great goalie and the second goal was a typical skinner softy but it is what it is. I don't think its fair to scapegoat him for this series loss. Last year vs the Knights on the other hand, he was really bad and a big reason why we lost.

 

[Balakay14]

Skinner's interesting moving forward, up to the point of being pulled in the Vancouver series he was posting historically terrible numbers in the playoffs across his two runs, and was costing the team games. Since coming back I thought he was better, and played pretty well from the midpoint of the Dallas series onwards. His best series in the playoffs, I think, was the final, which is a decent sign with the all the additional pressure, but he still had his moments in it.

Ultimately, I think the Oilers are totally okay with him during the regular season, he's played pretty well now across two seasons, but he needs to find more consistency in the playoffs. Seems to be at least 1 game a series where he shits the bed and contributes heavily to a loss, or just letting in some absolute weak goals, but when he's on he can play really well. But the Oilers also need his help in trying to finish series quicker too.

I don't know if it's really feasible with the current cap situation but finding him a more legitimate partner would be nice so he can get more rest in the regular season and so that there is a more feasible option if he's going through a bad stretch in the playoffs.

 

[TheNumber4]

Skinner was great to close out the Van series, great in the Dallas series outplaying Otter, and good in Finals series outplaying Bob.

In the end he proved to be good enough. We were 1 win away, 1 goal away.

He will be better from this experience. The confidence will continue to grow. The maturity. The skill and ability as well. I have no doubt we see an even better Skinner next year behind another year of Knob defence.

 

[dem]

Skinner must have every relative and California Closets employee posting here. Have never seen so much love for such an ordinary goalie. But everybody quick to blame two of the greatest Oilers players ever. That last part is what gets me everytime. the Oilers wouldn't be anything without McDrai.

When your star players don't score in games they are supposed to.... stop deflecting the blame to the goalie that let in 2.

That is what people are annoyed at.

I'm no Skinner fanboy... but sometimes the narratives on here are just stupid.

IF CONNOR AND LEON SCORE... WE WIN THIS GAME.

I don't blame them for the Oilers losing.. but it is what it is.

Don't be on here expecting Stu Skinner to get a shutout and then excuse Connor and Leon for not scoring.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Skinner went from almost not playable in the playoffs to pretty damn reliable to at least keep us in the game. Not perfect but he made huge strides this playoff run imo.

I feel way more comfortable with him going into next season than I did coming into this season.

 

[Drivesaitl]

When your star players don't score in games they are supposed to.... stop deflecting the blame to the goalie that let in 2.

That is what people are annoyed at.

I'm no Skinner fanboy... but sometimes the narratives on here are just stupid.

IF CONNOR AND LEON SCORE... WE WIN THIS GAME.

Read through the thread. Goals in SC final 7th games are exceedingly rare, as a rule, and always are, its part of the dynamic.

"When your star players don't score in games they are supposed to" is absent of thought of this being a game 7 for SC. The best players in the history of hockey have failed to score in 7th game of a SC final including Wayne Gretzky.

Its not so easy, and its ALWAYS exceedingly difficult.

Others are annoyed that the best players on this team are almost constantly blamed anytime they don't move the world.

 

[dem]

Read through the thread. Goals in SC final 7th games are exceedingly rare, as a rule, and always are, its part of the dynamic.

"When your star players don't score in games they are supposed to" is absent of thought. The best players in the history of hockey have failed to score in 7th game of a SC final including Wayne Gretzky.

Its not so easy, and its ALWAYS exceedingly difficult.

Others are annoyed that the best players on this team are almost constantly blamed anytime they don't move the world.

The list of game 7 Stanley Cup finals is short.. so I'm not sure what the f any of that matters? No one cares about a game 7 20+ years ago.

 

[TheNumber4]

The list of game 7 Stanley Cup finals is short.. so I'm not sure what the f any of that matters? No one cares about a game 7 20 years ago.

Extremely short sample. Doesn’t really have much relevance.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Extremely short sample. Doesn’t really have much relevance.

Sure it does, in terms of dynamic. How can you say no relevance when the greatest players in the history of this game fail to score in a game 7 all the marbles game? The pressure is beyond immense. When you compound that with NHL level officiating, With 7-11 ice, and against a premium goalie and its a special kind of hell trying to create a goal. Teams get few chances in SC final game 7's.

That pressure if felt by anybody no matter the year, decade, etc. Dynamics are like that in that they can be static, but salient variables through time.

 

[TheNumber4]

Sure it does, in terms of dynamic. How can you say no relevance when the greatest players in the history of this game fail to score in a game 7 all the marbles game? The pressure is beyond immense. When you compound that with NHL level officiating, With 7-11 ice, and against a premium goalie and its a special kind of hell trying to create a goal. Teams get few chances in SC final game 7's.

That pressure if felt by anybody no matter the year, decade, etc. Dynamics are like that in that they can be static, but salient variables through time.

Well if goals are hard to come by in the finals then we got exactly that in this game 7 as well. Only 3 were scored.

I neither think it’s a reason to blame McDrai or blame Skinner for. Both were within expectation then.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The list of game 7 Stanley Cup finals is short.. so I'm not sure what the f any of that matters? No one cares about a game 7 20+ years ago.

No one cares about your apparent need to blame McDrai for a one off game wherein anything can happen and which is basically a coin flip.

McDrai were also playing this game and playoffs injured. Again.

Myself I'll appreciate and continue to appreciate the greatest players on a club. We're fortunate as well to have been able to add Booch and Hyman to that list.

I excuse Connor and Leon, invariably because they have earned that benefit through a decade of great play here. Thats what gratitude looks like.

Well if goals are hard to come by in the finals then we got exactly that in this game 7 as well. Only 3 were scored.

I neither think it’s a reason to blame McDrai or blame Skinner for. Both were within expectation then.

Thats a perfectly fair view. Thats what I was trying to explain.

Note I didn't blame the game 7 the loss on Skinner. I said the 2nd shot was stoppable and we needed that and it was my sense at the time it could be the winner. Probably like me you sensed at 1-1 the game was already being played like OT.

i did blame the game 3 loss on Skinner and stand by that.

 

[bellagiobob]

Skinner went from almost not playable in the playoffs to pretty damn reliable to at least keep us in the game. Not perfect but he made huge strides this playoff run imo.

I feel way more comfortable with him going into next season than I did coming into this season.

Yup, at the start of the year and at various points in the playoffs, I wondered if they could win a SC with him. Goalies are like voodoo, who knows what will happen next year, but based on his play in clutch games these playoffs, I have confidence that he can be the guy. Still very young and has improved each year, so not reason to assume he can't continue that progression.

 

[dem]

No one cares about your apparent need to blame McDrai for a one off game wherein anything can happen and which is basically a coin flip.

McDrai were also playing this game and playoffs injured. Again.

Myself I'll appreciate and continue to appreciate the greatest players on a club. We're fortunate as well to have been able to add Booch and Hyman to that list.

I do appreciate them.

But you don't get to throw Skinner to the wolves because NO ONE SCORED A GOAL.

Skinner gave this team a chance to win. They didnt. If this team burried their chances in game 1 they would have won it too. They didn't.

 

[GOilers88]

If people still don't think Stu is capable of helping the team go the distance, or a capable starter, they never will and there's no use in arguing.

He pulled his shit together and backstopped the team to within a goal of the cup. He brings good value on a 2.6 million contract for the next 2 years, and will likely improve upon his second season much like he did his first.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I do appreciate them.

But you don't get to throw Skinner to the wolves because NO ONE SCORED A GOAL.

Skinner gave this team a chance to win. They didnt. If this team burried their chances in game 1 they would have won it too. They didn't.

I'm not throwing Skinner anywhere. I don't make that decision. heh. he is the bird in the hand and I acknowledge that while still knowing its not the quality bird I would want.

Scoring is the toughest thing in hockey some nights. in a sport that is often dictated by goaltending. Its the nature of hockey that goaltending is the one spot that can outright steal games. Contending teams generally need a ringer in net. Thats not blaming Skinner, just an observation. Goaltending is the trump card in hockey, just the nature of the sport.

heres another thought. Only one player in the history of hockey, one season, has ever been expected to score every game, and scored at greater than G/G pace. Wayne Gretzky. 92 goal season Wayne Gretzky. Goals scored by stars either occur or don't occur. No blame need be assigned simply on basis of not scoring. Did you see some of the stops?

 

[grego]

A team needs two goalies they trust to have a good chance at a run. It has been years since we had that scenario. I know it only lasts so long for a team before one can price their way out.

But we don't need to dump skinner, we need a second goalie for our rotation and let play decide the starter

 

[5 14 6 1]

Anyone that posts in here thinking Skinner isn't good enough has a rock for a brain. He is a sophomore goalie who makes 2.6M that had the starter role thrust on him and has done very well, getting us a win away from a cup.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

A team needs two goalies they trust to have a good chance at a run. It has been years since we had that scenario. I know it only lasts so long for a team before one can price their way out.

But we don't need to dump skinner, we need a second goalie for our rotation and let play decide the starter

Did Stolarz play ?

 

[GOilers88]

Did Stolarz play ?

Yes.

Bob allowed 19 goals in the final 4 games of the final to boot, after allowing only 4 in the first 3 games. Imagine the chatter if that had been Stu.

 

[TheNumber4]

Anyone that posts in here thinking Skinner isn't good enough has a rock for a brain. He is a sophomore goalie who makes 2.3M that had the starter role thrust on him and has done very well, getting us a win away from a cup.

Plus he’s gonna be better for this experience. And still only 2.6M on the cap. We very well could be looking at the best value starter contract in the League next year if his year over year improvements continue.

 

[elmeroil]

I was one of the hardest on Skinner until he really started playing better in the Stars series. I think he came a long way in this playoffs and I'm really curious if he elevates next season or takes a step back.

He made saves he wasn't making at times and I really don't fault him on either goal last night. Kulak made a bad decision giving Reinhart all of that space instead of challenging and trying to get a stick on that. The loss is not on Skinner and I actually believe now that he can turn into a really good goalie.

Plus he’s gonna be better for this experience. And still only 2.6M on the cap. We very well could be looking at the best value starter contract in the League next year if his year over year improvements continue.

I'm a convert for now

 

[TheNumber4]

I was one of the hardest on Skinner until he really started playing better in the Stars series. I think he came a long way in this playoffs and I'm really curious if he elevates next season or takes a step back.

He made saves he wasn't making at times and I really don't fault him on either goal last night. Kulak made a bad decision giving Reinhart all of that space instead of challenging and trying to get a stick on that. The loss is not on Skinner and I actually believe now that he can turn into a really good goalie.


I'm a convert for now

Good to see. Stu deserves the support.