It was a game that had a playoff feel and Edmonton Oilers goalkeeper Stuart Skinner answered the bell accordingly.
Skinner made 31 saves to earn his second shutout of the season as the Oilers won their second straight game, beating their Pacific Division rival Los Angeles Kings 1-0 on Monday.
It was Skinner’s sixth career shutout for the Oilers (27-13-3), who have won six of their last seven games to move four points ahead of the Kings and into second place in the race. the Pacific division. The Oilers are four points behind the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights.
Skinner was called upon early in the contest to make a massive save on a Kings two-on-one opportunity as Anze Kopitar sent it to Adrian Kempe and he unleashed a ball that Skinner got a glove on, with the puck landing on top. from the internet.
“It was an unbelievable pass from Kopitar and then Kempe got a good shot and I just threw myself into a gap and did everything I could,” Skinner said.
“It was obviously kind of a ready-made backup. I have enough to get it past the net, thank goodness. It was a great stop and exactly what we needed.
Connor McDavid, who scored the only goal of the game on his 28th birthday, said Skinner kept the Oilers in the game while they worked to get back into shape.
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“He’s playing very well,” the captain said. “He was really good at the beginning. This save on the two against one really pushes us forward and helps us a lot. This is a team you want to play in front of. When they have a lead on you, they can make things quite difficult. It was a huge save and he was solid all night.
Skinner has been solid for the Oilers of late, going 11-3-1 in his last 15 starts, and has shown the ability to bounce back from occasional rough games like in his last outing, a 5-0 loss. 3 in Pittsburgh.
“I think personally, I’ve had a lot of experiences that have helped me become more resilient over the years,” said the 26-year-old Edmonton native. “After games like that (against the Penguins), you always want to come back and really contribute and show the guys you can bounce back. I think it’s an extremely important thing for a goalkeeper to do.
Skinner entered the game having won each of his last eight starts while losing his previous game, posting a 1.75 GAA and .938 save percentage in those games.
Edmonton and Los Angeles are the two hottest teams in the NHL since November 21, with the Kings now 13-4-2 over that span and Edmonton now 16-4-1. The victory felt like a playoff victory.
“It was definitely a playoff game where two teams went toe-to-toe and played really solid,” Skinner said. “It’s a hell of a team. They know how to play us as well as we know how to play them. That’s what makes it so fun and exciting.
“I’m really happy we were able to get this win, especially after they beat us last game.”
The Kings beat Edmonton 4-3 in overtime in their only previous meeting in Los Angeles on December 28.
The two teams have faced each other the past three years in the playoffs, with Edmonton emerging victorious in seven games in 2022, six games in 2023 and five games last spring.
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