The Oilers’ playoff hopes might come down to what’s happening between the pipes, and that’s not great news for Edmonton fans right now.
Saturday’s heartbreaking 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights highlighted a problem that just won’t go away – goaltending.
Stuart Skinner, forced back into action after Calvin Pickard’s late injury in Game 2, looked shaky in his return. He gave up four goals on just 24 shots, including a game-winner that’s going to be tough to forget.
The frustrating part for Oilers fans? Almost everything else is clicking.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are doing what they do best – lighting up the scoreboard. The team’s depth players are stepping up big time too, giving Edmonton the kind of balanced attack that championship teams are built on.
Before getting hurt, Pickard had been a bright spot, stringing together six straight wins. His injury couldn’t have come at a worse time.
William Karlsson’s second-period goal was particularly rough – the kind of shot that needs to be stopped in playoff hockey. It slipped right through Skinner, a moment that proved costly in such a tight game.
While it wouldn’t be fair to pin the entire loss on Skinner, his performance raised some serious questions. The Oilers have all the pieces of a Stanley Cup contender, but without solid goaltending, even the most talented team can find themselves watching the later rounds from home.
The big question now is whether Pickard can make it back soon – and if he can’t, whether Skinner can find his game when his team needs him most.
