Oilers searching for answers in net after Game 3 loss to Canucks

EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are two of the best players on the planet at putting pucks in the opposition's net, not keeping them out of their own.

That’s Stuart Skinner’s job.

And right now, the Edmonton Oilers goaltender isn’t doing it. At least not well enough to backstop his team into the Western Conference Final, no matter how well his two star teammates are playing.

And Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch knows it, judging by his comments after Edmonton’s 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round at Rogers Place on Sunday.

“Yes, we need more saves,” he said bluntly.

So much so that Knoblauch would not commit to whether Skinner or backup Calvin Pickard would start Game 4 of the best-of-7 series, which the Canucks lead 2-1 heading into a crucial matchup Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, SN, TVAS). That decision, Knoblauch said Monday, will be made following the morning skate after the coaching staff deliberates on how to move forward.

On Sunday, the coach dropped another candid bombshell.

“We’ll see what he’s got in the future, whether it’s Game 4 or Game 5 or whenever it is,” Knoblauch said. “But we’ll see ‘Stu’ again.”

That’s hardly an endorsement of a team’s starting goalie.

Then again, Skinner hasn’t really earned one.

Draisaitl and McDavid have done their part trying to lead the Oilers to the conference final. Draisaitl leads all skaters in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) while McDavid is second with 17 (two goals, 15 assists).

In the three games against the Canucks, Draisaitl has eight points (two goals, six assists) and McDavid has five (one goal, four assists). Both played almost half of Game 3, with McDavid logging 29:42 and Draisaitl 29:04.

“Our best players have to be our best players, and they have been,” Knoblauch said.

The same can’t be said of Skinner.

The 25-year-old has been beaten 12 times on 58 shots through the first three games of this series. He allowed three goals on 11 shots in the first period alone Sunday, causing the handful of Canucks fans among the sea of orange-and-blue clad throng of 18,347 to begin chanting “Skinn-er, Skinn-er.”

When a goalie is mocked in his own arena, well, that’s never a good thing for him.

“Yeah, I think tonight’s one he’d like to have back,” said Knoblauch, who pulled Skinner in favor of Pickard to start the third.

Skinner had some of the best numbers among NHL starting goalies during the regular season, going 36-16-5 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .905 save percentage. He hasn’t been anywhere near that form against the Canucks in this series.

In the end, the Oilers outshot the Canucks 45-18 and hit three posts Sunday. No matter. Vancouver got more than enough saves from rookie goalie Arturs Silovs when it mattered. Edmonton couldn’t say the same about Skinner.

“I thought we were the better team for the most part,” Draisaitl said. “In my eyes, that should have resulted in a win. That’s not the way hockey works sometimes though.”

Especially not when your goaltending is subpar like it has been far too often in this series.