The Edmonton Oilers are still trying to find their footing this season, with a 4-4-1 record after a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. This game comes after the Oilers has shown their offensive explosion in 6-5 win against Candiens two days ago.
After reaching the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back seasons, only to fall short both times against the Florida Panthers, the Oilers are now looking to regain their rhythm and consistency. They’ll have another chance to do that when they take on the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.
Why are fans blaming goaltender Stuart Skinner for the Oilers’ 3-2 loss to the Kraken?
The hockey world was left scratching its head after Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner made a somewhat puzzling play during Saturday’s game.
When the Kraken broke in on a 2-on-1 opportunity and the puck was passed across the crease, Skinner inexplicably dove head-first in a desperate attempt to make the save. But the puck slid on his past the top left.
On the first one, Eberle beat him over the left shoulder after Skinner dropped too early. The third, Eberle’s second of the night, was a turnover at the blue line that left Skinner scrambling as Eberle cut across and slipped the puck past him.
Fans were quick to weigh in on Skinner’s puzzling play, with one fan questioning whether the goalie had a new coach, “Don’t think I’ve seen a goalie dive head first like that in a while. New goalie coach?”
Another fan wondered what technique he was trying to employ, “Two goals tonight leaving me wondering what technique Skinner was using in net. It still has to go through five #Oilers to get there in the first place, but it looks like he’s just throwing himself at the puck.”
A fan took a more sympathetic approach, acknowledging that Skinner had endured. “He’s had a rough game tonight. His bad pinch caused the first Kraken goal, too,” the fan wrote.
However, not everyone was so forgiving, with one fan jokingly saying, “Are we sure Stuart Skinner isn’t caught up in an illegal gambling ring?”
Another bluntly stated, “No reason for Skinner to dive in desperation like that.”
Some were more balanced in their criticism: “Better job controlling play, but still no finish, some big errors from the D, and Skinner couldn’t make the big saves. This game felt a little more like the early season Oilers from the last two years ” a fan wrote.
Skinner saved 20 shots out of 23 in Saturday’s defeat. He has a 2.31 GAA and a .903 SV% this season.
