Stuart Skinner reminded Edmonton Oilers fans on Monday night why he is no longer their goaltender, and this message came through a microphone in Pittsburgh.
The 27-year-old goalie, now playing for a team with black and gold colors, said something in a postgame interview that caught the attention of many people in Alberta, who saw it as a jab.
Skinner mentioned that he felt good about his performance. Then he went on to say he has experience playing well in the playoffs but “just not getting goals from our best players when it matters most. ”
It’s worth reading that again.
Pittsburgh is now behind Philadelphia 0-2, and Skinner has a point that his team didn’t score against Rick Tocchet’s group. However, how he said it is what’s going to get attention.
This comment hits differently in Edmonton because the names he’s bringing up are still actively playing.
Here’s the full quote.
Oilers fans don’t need to think hard to figure this out. Skinner spent a lot of time in Edmonton, seeing Connor McDavid and the team try to score enough when he had off nights.
Now he’s with a different team, and his words are coming back to haunt him.
By the way, McDavid just finished the regular season with an impressive 138 points, including 48 goals and a plus-17 rating. He will play Game 1 against Anaheim at Rogers Place on Monday night.
That’s the player Skinner’s quote can be compared to.
Skinner’s stats this season in Pittsburgh tell a different story than what he said. He ended with a record of 17 wins, 18 losses, and 5 overtime losses, along with an . 888 save percentage and 2 shutouts in 50 games, all while his team’s budget was affected by a $2.6 million contract. Those stats don’t usually earn respect.
A Penguins team led by Sidney Crosby is just the kind of group that could twist his comments to their advantage. Every reporter in Pittsburgh now has a quote they can use against Skinner for the rest of this series.
Dan Muse needs to talk about it during practice. The older players from Pittsburgh will also need to.
In Edmonton, the response will be easier. The players who heard what was said won’t make any public comments. There’s no need for them to do that.
Their focus is on winning the playoff series, and the goalie they used to comfort after every defeat is now busy discussing them while riding a bus away from PPG Paints Arena.
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