As the Edmonton Oilers prepare for the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Finals, one area of strength is in goal. Yes, Stuart Skinner’s playoff stats have been susceptible to inconsistencies, but he has seemed to have found his game. This was no more evident than his performance against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals series. Let’s recap his statistical profile and chat about what makes him such an important piece of the Oilers cup bid.
The Western Conference Finals Series Review Stars vs Oilers
Stuart Skinner’s Collective Playoff Stats in 2023-24 are More than All Right
Stuart Skinner had a more than respectable regular season in 2023-24. He appeared in a decent 59 games. That’s a good number to not tire you out, but also, firmly supplant yourself as a confident, NHL starting goalie. Furthermore, his 36 wins is good for a third place tie with Tommy Salo for most wins in a single season in franchise history. His .675 win% in those games wasn’t too shabby either. Also, let’s not forget that this is only Skinner’s second full NHL season. Therefore, having some minor blips on the radar has to be expected.
He’s Getting Hotter Than an Oil Fire
Amongst Stuart Skinner’s playoff stats, he did succumb to such a blip. Halfway through the Vancouver Canucks second round series Head Coach Kris Knoblauch did a wonderful job of identifying it. Therefore, Skinner was sat for a pair of games in favour of the more senior Calvin Pickard. Apparently, it was just what the Knoblauch ordered, and Skinner has rewarded his coach in spades since his return.
Here, if you don’t believe us, check out these stats. In Skinner’s first eight playoff games, he had a 3.22 GAA and an .877 SV%. In the eight games since? Well thought you’d never ask. 1.82 and .919, respectively. He was especially strong in both the series opener and clincher against the Stars. Those were two games in particular that the Stars made a concerted effort to push the Oilers to the max. They were the only two games of the six where the Stars registered more than 24 shots on goal. And in those two games, Skinner held his ground, boasting a combined .955 SV%.
The Final Boss: Bob vs Stu
Now all that is left is to give a little comparison of Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers. Bobrovsky, similar to Skinner, plays behind a stingy, defensive team. To that point, both are very even in saves per game. Bobrovsky has saved 22.18 shots per game, while Skinner is as 21.88. Moreover, Bobrovsky has a slight edge in goals saved above expected at 4.8 compared with Skinner’s 2.2. It’s not surprising these values are low, with such tight defence in front of them. They make the saves they’re expected to make essentially. One last stat to compare the two tenders with one another is high danger save percentage above expected. Here Skinner is at .129, good for fourth among goalies with at least four games played in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Bobrovsky sits at .127, tied with Jeremy Swayman for fifth. In case you were wondering, because we knew you were, Ilya Samsonov led the playoffs at .202.
It seems that Skinner has arrived for the Oilers. And his time is now. This is the Stanley Cup finals after all. Moreover, he is able to stay loose, as noted by his adventures in Mario Kart world. It could very well be all coming together for Skinner and the rest of the Edmonton Oilers at the perfect time.
Main photo credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
