Stuart Skinner needed this one. After the scrutiny, the criticism, the endless questions about whether he's capable of being the starting goaltender for a cup-contending team, he walked into Madison Square Garden and delivered a 30-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the New York Rangers.
Career win number 99.
More importantly, a performance that showed exactly what he could be capable of.
This wasn't a night where Skinner got bailed out by his defence or put a mark in the win column because the Oilers scored six goals. This was a grind-it-out, battle-through-adversity, make-the-saves-that-matter kind of game. The kind that defines whether a goaltender has what it takes when the pressure's on and the margin for error is thin.
Skinner's perspective after the game revealed everything about his mindset right now.
"No matter what, if I'm playing the way that I want to play, then I'm going to feel good," Skinner said. "You just want to carry that on, despite wins or losses.
"Despite external ideas, thoughts or whatever's going on out there."
That's the mentality of a goaltender who's learned to tune out the noise. Skinner has dealt with more criticism than most 26-year-old goaltenders should have to handle. Every goal against gets analyzed. Every loss gets questioned. Every playoff struggle gets replayed endlessly. But here he is, standing in the visitors' locker room at MSG after a shutout, talking about playing his game regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Darnell Nurse saw firsthand what Skinner brought last night.
"Stu was our best penalty killer," began Nurse. "He was huge for us all night. Obviously, there's going to be breakdowns. There's going to be moments where he's got to make big saves. He did that a handful of times for us tonight."
That's what you need from your starting goaltender. Not perfection, but the ability to make the saves that matter when breakdowns happen. The Oilers aren't a defensively sound team night after night. They take risks. They generate offence at the expense of structure sometimes. That means their goaltender has to bail them out, and last night, Skinner did exactly that.
But let's look at the penalty kill: the Rangers have weapons. They have a power play that can hurt you. Skinner was the reason the Oilers killed off their penalties and kept the game manageable. That's the kind of thing that doesn't always show up in highlight reels but absolutely matters when you're trying to win games in tough buildings.
"The way that we defended, the way that we just battled, block shots," continued Skinner. "Rico had a massive one. I mean, you can name every single guy pretty well, just how hard they worked in our end."
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The broader context of this win matters too. The Oilers are opening a five-game Eastern road trip, and starting it with a hard-fought win at Madison Square Garden sets the tone for what's ahead.
"It's really good for our morale in general, being able to fight one off. Being able to battle, grind, and win a game in a hard way," Skinner said. "That was a man's game out there, and that's the way the guys played. They deserved the two points tonight."
"You get those games when February, March and April come around, gearing up for the playoffs," Nurse said. "But to have one early on, it's good because those are the tests that you want to pass over the course of the season—for when those bigger moments happen in the spring."
That's the key. This wasn't just about getting two points in October. This was about proving the Oilers can win games like this. Low-scoring. Defensively structured. Relying on their goaltender to be the difference. Those are the games you need to win in the playoffs, and tonight showed they're capable of it when Skinner is on his game.
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The redemption narrative around Skinner isn't going to end with one shutout. There will be more tough games. More criticism when things don't go well. More questions about whether he's the long-term answer. But last night at Madison Square Garden, with 30 saves and a shutout, Skinner showed exactly what he can be when he's playing the way he wants to play.
Career win 99. A shutout at MSG. A performance that his teammates recognized and appreciated. A statement game that came exactly when he needed it most.
Stuart Skinner walked into one of hockey's most famous buildings and delivered. That's redemption. That's growth. That's what the Oilers need from him all season long. And last night, he gave them every reason to believe he's capable of it.
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