For Stuart Skinner, stepping out after a gut-wrenching Game 1 loss to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final, the weight of the moment was palpable. His mask, a stoic shield, couldn’t fully conceal the faint grin of a hometown kid facing unrelenting pressure. The Oilers had just blown a two-goal lead, falling 6-3 in a third-period collapse that left fans stunned and social media ablaze.

Skinner, who had started the second round on the bench, made a statement with back-to-back shutouts against the Vegas Golden Knights, including a 24-save, 1-0 overtime win in Game 5, sealed by Kasperi Kapanen’s heroics. Those performances, coupled with support from his coach and captain, propelled Edmonton to the Western Conference Final. But Game 1 against Dallas was a different story. The Stars stormed back, capitalizing on a penalty carryover from the second period. Miro Heiskanen struck just 32 seconds into the third, firing from the blue line on the power play. Mikael Granlund tied it at 3-3 three minutes later, and Matt Duchene’s second-effort power-play goal gave Dallas the lead for good. Tyler Seguin’s even-strength tally and an empty-netter sealed Edmonton’s fate.

The fans, ever passionate, didn’t hold back and resumed with the backlash for the first time since the first round. “This guy SUCKS!!!” one tweeted, while another jabbed, “Just because he’s a hometown kid doesn’t mean he should be held to different standards.” The court of social media was merciless, and the pressure on Skinner, already sky-high, reached a fever pitch.

But Skinner made no excuses.“Obviously we let down our guard for five or six minutes and got into some penalty trouble. They were coming out hot, momentum kind of shifted for them in that moment and obviously it bit us. We let it slip for a little bit”, he said. The Stars’ three power-play goals in a 5:26 span exposed Edmonton’s lack of discipline, a stark contrast to the composure they’d shown most of the postseason. “It’s a tough pill to swallow,” Skinner concluded, as quoted by Sportsnet, reflecting on the five unanswered goals that flipped the game.

Skinner made 22 of 27 saves during Wednesday’s 6-3 loss at the Stars in Game 1. The third goal was an empty-netter. He had a 3-1 cushion to guard against early in the third period, but as his skaters didn’t help as they were busy populating the penalty box. At 2-4 this postseason, his wins are shutouts, but his losses? Four or more goals every time. With Calvin Pickard sidelined, Skinner’s the guy in the crease for Game 2 on Friday in Dallas. The pressure’s on, but if anyone’s built to handle it, it’s the kid with the defiant grin.

The Oilers need Round 2 Stuart Skinner

When Calvin Pickard went down in Game 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights, Oilers fans felt their Stanley Cup dreams slipping away. Pickard had been a steady hand in the net, stepping up in the first round against Los Angeles when Stuart Skinner struggled. Skinner’s early playoff performance was rough—11 goals allowed on 58 shots in Games 1 and 2, including a brutal 6-2 loss where he was yanked after giving up five goals on 28 shots. It was a low point, and many wondered if the young goalie could bounce back.

But Skinner didn’t just rebound; he rewrote the story. Benched for Game 3 of the first round, he used the time to reset and returned with a fire we hadn’t seen before. Since stepping back into the crease in the second round, he was a brick wall, stopping 47 straight shots and delivering back-to-back shutouts to close out the Golden Knights in the second round. His 24-save gem in the series-clinching 1-0 win at T-Mobile Arena was a statement. Even in overtime, where he faced just two shots, Skinner made every save count, setting the stage for Kasperi Kapanen’s game-winner at 7:19 of the extra frame, and gaining the trust of the Oilers community.

Skinner’s shutout streak stretched to an impressive 127:15, earning him a spot in the Oilers’ history books. According to the NHL, that’s the fourth-longest playoff shutout streak by an Edmonton goaltender, trailing only Curtis Joseph’s 166:54 and 149:35 in 1998 and Bill Ranford’s 154:24 in 1990. Not bad company for a guy who looked like he might be out of the picture just a few games ago.

Skinner’s turnaround is a testament to his resilience. He took the benching as a wake-up call and came back stronger, proving he’s got the mental toughness to handle the postseason pressure. With two shutouts and a 2-1 record since his return, Skinner’s not just keeping the Oilers in the fight—he’s giving them a real shot at glory.