Oilers Give Stuart Skinner Big Start Against Flames

Finn Marceau

Nov 3, 2024, 23:00

Finn Marceau

Nov 3, 2024, 23:00

The Oilers netminder owns a career 4-2-0 record in the battle of Alberta.

Perry Nelson-Imagn Images - Oilers Give Stuart Skinner Big Start Against Flames

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

That's the prevailing thought for the Oilers as they'll ice the same lineup from Thursday's beatdown of the Nashville Predators tonight against the Calgary Flames -- with one exception.

The one exception is a big one. Stuart Skinner gets the call in net tonight after Calvin Pickard got the win in Nashville.

It's not an altogether surprising decision. Skinner is the team's starter, and Pickard rarely, if ever, gets consecutive starts. He's also owned the Flames over his career, with a 4-2-0 record and .939 save percentage in six starts and one relief appearance. The Oilers need Skinner to be a big-game goalie, and a weekend Battle of Alberta at the Saddledome is about as big as it gets on November 3rd.

It's not quite that simple, though. Starting Skinner tonight leaves Calvin Pickard to start at home tomorrow against the high-flying New Jersey Devils. Skinner has had a difficult start to the season, with a save percentage of only .872 in seven starts. Having followed his 27-save shutout of the Pittsburgh Penguins by allowing 6 goals on 25 shots to Columbus, Skinner still needs to find consistency.

In giving Skinner the start, the Oilers may be trying to set him up for success with a big, emotional game against a lesser opponent, while riding the hot hand in Pickard against a more offensively talented team in the New Jersey Devils on Monday. Assuming Pickard does start on Monday, the Oilers will go six consecutive games trading off their starting goalies.

Speaking of trading off goalies, the Calgary Flames are starting the same goalie in consecutive games for the first time this season as Dan Vladar earns his seventh start of the season. The big Czech netminder is coming off a shutout of those New Jersey Devils on Friday, his first shutout since 2021-22.

Vladar started opposite Skinner in the last Battle of Alberta, making 25 saves on 26 shots to outduel Skinner and earn a 4-1 Flames win. With that win, Vladar owns a career 3-1-0 record and .926 save percentage against the Oilers.

Tonight's game gets underway at 6:00 PM, on Sportsnet.

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