The Edmonton Oilers seemed to have turned a corner after defeating their provincial rival Calgary Flames 4-2 on Sunday night — and Stuart Skinner had a big part in it.
While Leon Draisaitl was the de facto leader on the night, notching a goal and two assists in the winning effort, Skinner was great in the Oilers’ cage. The 25-year-old goaltender turned aside 29 of the 31 shots he faced, ending the night with a .935 save percentage.
He came up big on several chances, which earned him a rare “Stuuu” chant in an opposing arena. Those Skinner fans were so loud that the goaltender heard them on the ice.
“It was fun, it was good, playing in Calgary can be nice,” Skinner told reporters after the game. “It’s tough too because it is the Battle of Alberta, but I think for me, it’s so enjoyable growing up watching, being a part of it, even when you’re just a kid.
“Pretty special to be able to play in a Calgary barn and hearing ‘Stuuu.’”
“It’s pretty special being able to play in a Calgary barn & hearing Stuuuuu.”
Stuart Skinner on hearing his name being chanted at the Saddledome during tonight’s #Oilers victory.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/OKFRAZLXsE
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 4, 2024
It was a victory that Skinner needed in the worst way after a very disappointing 6-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets that saw the Edmonton native put up a lousy .760 save percentage.
Luckily, it seems like he was on his game this time around and, perhaps more importantly, the team in front of him was able to get timely goals in support — something that’s been lacking in many of Skinner’s eight starts this season.
“It felt fantastic, especially to get the win,” Skinner said. “After that Columbus game, for me, I had a long time to wait.”
Skinner still has some work to do if he wants to get his overall stats this season up. He still carries a sub .900 save percentage on the year (.881) and has a losing record of 3-4-1. In contrast, backup Calvin Pickard has been much better with a .897 save percentage and a 3-1-0 record.
There is still plenty of time for Stu to change things around and, if he can, that will be very big news for an Oilers team trying to finish the job this time around.