Having lost two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals to the Florida Panthers, the Oilers are venturing into this season with a single massive purpose: to clinch the victory. As they look forward to a triumphant run, GM Stan Bowman revealed that this time the team will strengthen their internal dialogue through transparent communication and strategic play. However, on the opening night, the Oilers were advancing with rhythm until it got disrupted by the Calgary Flames. And, the Oilers’ goalie, Stuart Skinner, took the blame. 

On October 8th, the Oilers were leading the Calgary Flames 3-2 in the third period. The team was in a good position to start the season strong, and the fans were watching closely, hoping for a solid win. Then came a tense moment. Connor Zary, a Flames player, took a long shot from the neutral zone. Stuart Skinner, made the initial save, he mishandled the puck, leaving it loose right in front of the net. Evan Bouchard, the defenseman nearby, didn’t react quickly enough to pick up the puck, and Flames’ Blake Coleman took the advantage. He scored, tying the game at 3-3. What should have been a comfortable lead suddenly evaporated, and the momentum shifted to the Flames.

Calgary went on to win 4–3 in a shootout. But here’s the thing, Skinner owned it. TSN 1260’s Jason Gregor took to X and revealed what Skinner said following the game. The Oiler’s goalie mentioned, “It was miscommunication and I was slow to react. It was one bad decision and it makes you look really bad. I won’t be thinking about it. That will probably be the easiest fix I make this year. Make a quick decision and throw it in the corner. Fixed.”

Still, the season ahead won’t be easy. Stuart Skinner keeps finding himself in those high-pressure, back-breaking moments. For Skinner, the task is clear: earn trust, one play at a time. Because every little moment of confidence is what will carry this team toward the bigger dream, as this time the Edmonton Oilers are choosing calm and composure to ace the season. In fact, after the opening night game, coach Kris Knoblauch gave a detailed perspective of what actually happened on the rink.

Coach Kris Knoblauch gave an optimistic take on the loss

After the Oilers’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames, head coach Kris Knoblauch defended Stuart Skinner, pointing to the team’s resilience even when things go wrong. “Anytime you get scored on, yes, it’s a gut punch,” Knoblauch said. “Whether it’s us playing an almost perfect first half of the game, and then we get sloppy, and then we get sloppy, and they score on (a fluke deflection) goal — that was a gut punch (too). We had a 3–2 lead. We should be fine, but it happens.”

He further added, “It’s pretty tough to go through a whole season without something like that happening. If it happens more often than not then we have an issue. It’s an unfortunate play, something that you don’t want to see, but it happens.”

Skinner was under pressure, and his contract situation further intensifies this. He has one more year left on a three-year, $7.8 million contract with a $2.6 million cap hit, and he is a free agent after this season. The Oilers are within a championship window, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as star players with long-term contracts, and the management, led by the GM Stan Bowman. However, Head coach Kris Knoblauch wasn’t ready to blame Skinner alone.