Stuart Skinner’s incredible comeback story has powered the Edmonton Oilers into the Western Conference Finals, with the young goalie posting back-to-back shutouts against the Vegas Golden Knights.
It’s a stunning turnaround for Skinner, who lost his starting job in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings after struggling badly. He only got another shot when backup Calvin Pickard got hurt in Game 2 against Vegas.
He’s made the most of his second chance.
Skinner stopped all 24 shots in Game 5’s overtime thriller, letting Kasperi Kapanen play hero with the series-winning goal. That’s two straight shutouts from a goalie who couldn’t seem to make a save just a few weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers are pushing the Toronto Maple Leafs to the edge, crushing them 6-1 in Game 5.
Sergei Bobrovsky was nearly perfect in net for Florida, stopping 31 of 32 shots. He came just 64 seconds shy of his second straight shutout against Toronto’s high-powered offense. His best save came in the first period, when he went into a full splits to rob Matthew Knies after a crazy bounce off the boards.
Aaron Ekblad had a huge night for the Panthers too. The defenseman, who’s already served two suspensions this postseason, opened the scoring with a perfect snapshot over Anthony Stolarz’s shoulder.
But it wasn’t just about scoring. Ekblad dominated Toronto’s best players all night – when he was on the ice against stars William Nylander and John Tavares, Florida controlled the play completely.
The Oilers’ defensive game has improved dramatically in front of Skinner, allowing just two dangerous shots in nearly 70 minutes of play in Game 5. But the young goalie’s transformation has been just as impressive.
“It’s pretty amazing how things can change,” Skinner said after the game. “You just have to stay ready for your moment.”
The Oilers now await their Western Conference Finals opponent, while Florida looks to close out Toronto in Game 6 on their home ice.
