Skinner ‘the rock’ for Oilers in Game 4, helps take commanding lead in Western 1st Round

LOS ANGELES -- Stuart Skinner turned out to be the story in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round for the Edmonton Oilers despite the buzz going in regarding David Rittich starting for the Los Angeles Kings ahead of Cam Talbot.

Skinner made 33 saves for his first NHL playoff shutout in a 1-0 win at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday to give Edmonton a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series, which they can close out at home in Game 5 on Wednesday (time TBD).

“I thought he was unbelievable,” Edmonton defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “I think he has shown that he’s taken steps as a goaltender. I think he’s way calmer, positionally he’s very sound right now and you have to really make a great play to beat him right now, which is obviously a great feeling for us knowing that he’s the backbone of our team.”

Skinner started all 12 playoff games for the Oilers a year ago as a rookie. He was pulled in four of those games and went through growing pains for Edmonton, which was eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round. 

A year has made an enormous difference for Skinner, an Edmonton native who was selected by the Oilers in the third round (No. 78) of the 2017 NHL Draft and then allowed to develop in the system. 

“I changed a lot going through all the experiences that I’ve been able to go through the past year,” Skinner said. “When you use those things to learn and grow as a person, as a teammate, as a player, you’re going to keep getting better. I think that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”

The Oilers’ initial plan was to use Skinner as a capable backup to Jack Campbell, who signed a five-year contract ($5 million average annual value) on July 13, 2022, as an unrestricted free agent.

But Campbell had an .888 save percentage in 36 games, paving the way for Skinner to take over the starting role midway through last season.

The two were still in the fold entering this season, but Campbell got off to a slow start and was assigned to Bakersfield of the American Hockey League on Nov. 7, making Skinner the undisputed starter.

“As soon as he gripped on to it and kind of realized, ‘I’m the guy,’ he’s been running with it all year; he’s been great for us,” Ekholm said. “He’s shown it game-in and game-out, and as with any goaltender, they’re going to have an off night. But I think his biggest strength is the way he rebounds after those nights, and that’s in my opinion a sign of a really, really good goaltender.”

Skinner was 36-16-5 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 59 games (57 starts) this season. He has a 2.48 GAA and .919 save percentage in four playoff games.

The 25-year-old has displayed maturity beyond his years; he rarely shows signs of frustration and has a short memory when it comes to letting go of a bad goal or unlucky bounce.

“I think whether it’s a forward, defenseman or goalie, you always want to play with guys who are giving off confidence,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. “The goaltending position is the most important. If the team sees the goaltender nervous or upset or not focused it can resonate through the entire team, and ‘Stu’s’ just been rock solid the whole time I’ve been here.

“There hasn’t been very many games where he hasn’t been really good. And anytime that he’s had an off game, he’s taken ownership and he’s always responded and played really well very quickly. He gives the team a lot of confidence.”

Considering his struggles in the playoffs last season (5-6, 3.68 GAA, .883 save percentage), Skinner entered this postseason with something to prove.

Luck wasn’t on his side in the first two games of this series in Edmonton, with two pucks going in off a defensemen’s skate in a 7-4 Game 1 victory, then was the victim of a couple of unfortunate bounces in a 5-4 overtime loss in Game 2. But as he did during the regular season, Skinner brushed them off.

“I think bounces have still kind of gone both ways in some circumstances,” he said. “I think that us as a team knowing that’s part of the game, I think we’ve just left it kind of like background music, just focusing on what we can do besides the bounces. That’s sometimes going to happen and it’s how you respond to it. I think we’re doing a really good job at it.”

Skinner’s 33 saves were third-most in a shutout by an Oilers goalie in the playoffs. Curtis Joseph made 43 against the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the 1997 Western Conference Quarterfinal, and Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Grant Fuhr made 34 in Game 1 of the 1984 Stanley Cup Final against the New York Islanders.

Edmonton managed just 13 shots on goal Sunday, but defenseman Evan Bouchard scored the lone goal on the power play at 11:49 of the second period.

The Kings outshot the Oilers 13-3 in the third period.

“He was great for us tonight; he was the rock,” Bouchard said of Skinner. “When we made mistakes, he was there to support us. When you’re not letting in any goals, you’re going to win the game, so he was great for us.”