Breadcrumb Trail Links
Published May 13, 2024 • Last updated 59 minutes ago • 3 minute read
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Dylan Holloway (55) of the Edmonton Oilers, checks Quinn Hughes (43) of the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place in Edmonton on May 12, 2024. Photo by Shaughn Butts /Postmedia
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The Edmonton Oilers aren’t going to win a Stanley Cup with the kind of goaltending they’re getting.
They’re not going to win a Stanley Cup playing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl almost 30 minutes a night.
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And they’re not going to win a Stanley Cup with a bottom six that’s gone AWOL in the playoffs again.
Stanley Cup?
They won’t even beat Vancouver.
With Edmonton trailing its Western Conference semifinal series (also known as the Canadian Championship) 2-1 to the Canucks after Sunday’s 4-3 defeat, things are getting all kinds of real here in Lottery City.
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The Oilers might lose this thing. To a third-string goaltender.
Try chewing on that all summer.
The same worm-eaten playoff problems that have plagued this team throughout the entire Connor McDavid era are resurfacing again at just the wrong time.
Goaltending: Stuart Skinner is rocking a .793 save percentage for the series and .877 for the playoffs.
Depth: 18 of Edmonton’s last 20 goals have come from their top six (OK, top three) or from defencemen. The bottom six remains a post-season rumour.
Over-reliance: Connor McDavid played 28:12 in Game 2 and 29:42 in Game 3. Leon Draisaitl played 27:05 and 29:04. Meanwhile, five Oilers forwards played fewer than 10 minutes on Sunday.
These are all serious problems but the biggest leak in the boat right now is goaltending.
Skinner is a solid guy who’s always been honest about his game and he’s been brilliant at pulling out of rough patchers during the regular season, but facts are facts: He’s been pulled five times in 20 career playoff games and he’s given up a goal on every fifth shot in the series with Vancouver.
Even a protective head coach can’t pretend this hasn’t become a serious issue.
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“Yes, we need more saves,” said Kris Knoblauch.
For as strong as he is in the regular season, Skinner’s playoff resume is not good. And, to compound matters, the guy across the ice is writing a Cinderella story.
Arturs Silovs is giving Vancouver the kind of stuff the Oilers would kill for just a hint of. He’s not just keeping his head above water, he’s stealing games from one of the most high-powered attacks the league has ever seen.
Edmonton outshot Vancouver 60-20 over the last four periods and they lost one game and needed a lucky break in overtime to win the other.
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Some of the numbers are ridiculous — 15-2 in the third period of Game 2, then 14-4 and 22-3 in the second and third periods Sunday night.
That’s not easy on a team’s psyche. It has to be deflating when you’re working hard for a ton of great looks and their goalie isn’t giving you a sniff, but as soon as the other team gets a half decent chance it’s in the back of your net.
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On the bright side, it also means that this thing could be on the verge of tipping Edmonton’s way for good. It’s hard to imagine that Vancouver can keep winning when they’re being outshot three-to-one.
Eventually, something has to give, whether it’s Silovs or the Canucks, or some of the four goal posts Edmonton hit Sunday taking a different bounce next time. You can’t put that much pressure on something before it snaps.
But the Oilers need a save. Every mistake they make can’t be coming back to haunt them.
“It would be ridiculous to think that you’re going to play 60 minutes of hockey without turning the puck over,” said Knoblauch.
So who do you start Tuesday night, knowing that this might be the most important 60 minutes the Oilers have played in nearly 20 years?
Not since Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final has a game meant so much to the organization. Fall behind 3-1 in the series and 7-1 on the season to Vancouver and not only are the Oilers done, but the whole Stanley Cup window might begin closing.
There are no reassuring choices for Knoblauch and his staff. Not when the wrong answer means you’re down 3-1 in the series.
Skinner’s post season numbers speak for themselves and Pickard has never started an NHL playoff game.
Not an easy call.
And this is not an easy situation. The Canucks can taste blood in the water and will be coming hard at whoever starts for Edmonton in Game 4.
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