Wednesday Nov. 6 was a date which stood out for the Edmonton Oilers and their fans until Tuesday night, because it represented the last time they lost two consecutive games in regulation time. Yes there had been a couple of occasions since when they failed to win for two straight games, but both times they picked up a point courtesy of an overtime loss.
Certainly the 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals hurt, and not just because the Oilers were without Connor McDavid for the first of his controversial three-game suspension. The loss also hurt because it was a litmus test versus the best team record-wise in the NHL, and because they deserved better from a contest where they dominated the visitors.
That the Oilers didn't get something on Tuesday night, came down to the age old and often repeated story in professional hockey of it being a game of two goaltenders. While one was outstanding and effectively stole the contest for his team, the other did precious little despite not facing much action in front of his net.
Logan Thompson over Stuart Skinner
For the Capitals, Logan Thompson was easily their best player on a night when they were heavily outshot 32-14 by the Oilers, Despite this, Thompson only allowed two goals and took home the Second Star of the Game after helping his team win 3-2.
Meanwhile, Stuart Skinner just couldn't do anything right on the night, despite only facing eight Grade A shots. This is not to say he was at fault for all three goals he allowed, but the top goalies in the game find a way to make their presence felt in a positive way on nights such as this.
We've often talked about how Skinner is a talented but inconsistent goalie, with him still needing to prove himself despite backstopping the Oilers all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season. It's fair to claim that after overcoming a poor start to the season and looking tremendous during December, he's having some challenges once again.
To be fair, Skinner was excellent during his first two starts of January, but has regressed since then. Including Tuesday night, he has a 2-3-0 record in his past five games, in the process producing an overall .885 save percentage and allowing 14 goals. (His one good game was a 30-save shutout in a 1-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings.)
This is when the Oilers need Stuart Skinner most
Now to be clear, we're not claiming the alarm bells need to rang just yet, but as the Oilers navigate their way through McDavid's absence, this is when Skinner needs to step up. And this is not some excuse to criticise a player who remains one of the most likeable people among teammates, the media and fans alike.
Again, this is about what the best goalies do in situations where they are needed most, with this one of those prime times when someone like Skinner has to excel. Harsh or not, any defensive shortcomings are ultimately going to shine a light on him more than the players in front of him, especially when he's facing so few shots.
In respect of the overall defensive effort, Oilers forward Corey Perry was mostly if not completely happy with how the team played. As per Jamie Umbach of NHL.com, he said:
"I thought we played pretty solid defensively, maybe a couple of line rushes against that we could've shored up. But for the most part, you keep them to under 15 shots – they're a top team in the league. When you do that, you normally come away with two points. Unfortunately, we couldn't find one at the end and we'll move on to the next one."
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch took it a step further, in how encourage he was by his team's defensive play. Also as per Umbach, he said:
"I think that's one of our better games that we played defensively. I don't think we gave up very much. A couple off the rush, yes, but we're never going to play a perfect game. The other team is going to get scoring chances, but I don't think there were very many tonight."
In this respect, it comes back to Skinner having to be better when his teammates are ensuring he doesn't face many shots on the night. It doesn't look good when you've only had to contend with five shots on goal at around the midway point of the game, but have already allowed two goals.
Ultimately, we do believe that Skinner and by extension the Oilers will be okay. However, he really does need to show more of the positive side of his ability, both in the short-term and the long, if this team is going to make a serious run at a second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final.