The Edmonton Oilers won a tough 1-0 game on the heels of a terrific performance from Stuart Skinner. But beyond Skinner’s great performance and the overall win versus the Los Angeles Kings, the low-scoring, tight-checking game proves one thing: The Oilers can grind out wins.
All too often, we’ve heard comments about how the Edmonton Oilers cannot win low-scoring games. Moreover, the lack of depth scoring comes back to haunt the Oilers. But that wasn’t the case on Monday night. The Oilers fought hard throughout the night to stay in the game and managed to pull out a rather uncharacteristic win.
Now, when I say “uncharacteristic,” I’m not saying the Oilers can’t win low-scoring games. What I am saying is that the perception is that the Oilers cannot win tight-checking games.
That perception comes from having a team loaded with offence. After all, boasting a lineup with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl makes most observers think the Oilers can score four of five goals every night.
That’s not realistic in the NHL. Sure, there are streaks when it seems like everything is going in the back of the net. But then again, there are times when teams must grind out wins.
That’s what the Oilers did. They won a hard-fought contest against a very good team. The Kings are third in the Pacific Division and have proven to be one of the better teams this season. So, kudos to the Oilers for winning one of the most impressive games of the season.
Tremendous bounce-back game for Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner
Skinner had a tremendous bounce-back after giving up five goals in a 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins over the weekend. Skinner showed he’s a legit number-one goaltender while maintaining his dominant role in the crease.
Aside from the blip against the Penguins, Skinner has registered two shutouts in his last three games. He gave up two goals against the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 3, and shut down the Utah Hockey Club, allowing one goal on New Year’s Eve.
Those performances have gone a long way to silence criticism regarding Skinner’s role on the team. Skinner has proven he’s the real deal. Hopefully, he can maintain his dominance over the remainder of the regular season.
The Edmonton Oilers are in a good place right now thanks to Skinner’s resilience. If that resilience and hard work can carry over into the playoffs, there’s no reason why the Oilers can’t make a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
If last year’s run was any indication, the Oilers are just one win away from bringing the Cup back home to Canada for the first time in over three decades.