Special to Sports News Highlights

(SNH) — Struggling goalie Stuart Skinner offered an apology to the Edmonton Oilers’ fan base.

“Felt I let the team down,” Skinner said May 12, as reported by the Edmonton Journal.

After being pulled following the second period of Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal series against the Vancouver Canucks, Skinner faced the NHL media and absorbed a barrage of critical questions.

During the 4-3 loss, Skinner yielded three first-period goals, ending with just 11 saves on 15 shots before Calvin Pickard denied all three shots he faced during the final 20 minutes.

With the Canucks taking a 2-1 series advantage, social media posts flowed, fast and, often, furious in nature.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch pinpointed the obvious problem.

“Yes, we need more saves,” he said.

They got them. The Canucks connected on just eight goals over the series’ final four outings, dropping a 3-2, Game 7 decision at Rogers Arena.

Despite Skinner’s early deficiencies, the Oilers advanced to their second conference final in their past three seasons. The debate over the Oilers’ inconsistent goaltending continued.

Following Thursday night’s series-opening 3-2 double-overtime victory against the host Dallas Stars, did Skinner finally start to silence his critics?

Don’t count on it.

Skinner maturing into playoff performer

Pickard earned his first Stanley Cup playoff start May 15 and earned a Game 4 win over the Canucks, but was tagged with a 3-2, Game 5 defeat.

Facing elimination, Skinner started Games 6 and 7, yielding just three tallies. Is the 25-year-old, four-year veteran maturing into the Oilers’ long-term answer?

Skinner went 36-16-5 during the regular season and enters Saturday’s Game 2 at American Airlines Center with an 8-3-0 postseason record. Still, Skinner continues to face social media shots at his consistency.

Some doubters may have been silenced two minutes into the first period Thursday when Skinner denied Evgenii Dadonov on a breakaway wrist shot and then Jamie Benn on a rebound snap shot.

Others could have been muffled when, 17 seconds into the first overtime, Connor McDavid was assessed a double-minor high-sticking penalty and Skinner helped the Oilers overcome the extended short-handed situation.

McDavid described his emotions over the four-minute detention.

“Really long,” he said per The Associated Press. “Really, really long. Miserable. Hated every second of it.”

NHL pundits recently pinpointed one of Skinner’s weaknesses, a shot below the blocker and above the right leg pad, an elevated four-hole. Dadonov tried it. And failed to convert.

Over his past three starts, Skinner has compiled three wins, a 1.50 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. To earn the Game 1 win, he turned aside 31 shots, including nine in the extra stanzas.

Skinner also has played a major role in aiding the Oilers’ penalty-killing units, which has denied a special-teams goal their past 20 opportunities.

Oilers, Stars out to end title-less streaks  

The Western Conference final matchup features two franchises without a Stanley Cup championship in at least 25 seasons. The Oilers have been blanked since 1990; the Stars in 1999.

After claiming Game 1 on the road and Skinner competing like a bona fide postseason starter, the other big question regarding the Oilers needs to be answered.

Can McDavid and Leon Draisaitl finally carry the club to the Stanley Cup finals?

Teammates for nine seasons, McDavid, who scored the game-winning goal Thursday on a tip-in 32 seconds into the second overtime, and Draisaitl are considered two of the NHL’s top playmakers.

Draisaitl (25 points) and McDavid (23) entered Friday as the postseason’s top two scorers. Draisiaitl opened the scoring with a goal 58 seconds into the second period Thursday. McDavid also was credited with a behind-the-net assist while falling on his butt.

Facing pressure to end the Oilers’ 34-year Stanley Cup drought, McDavid downplayed his game-winning marker.

“It was nice to score an overtime goal,” McDavid said. “A big goal.”

And Skinner made some big saves.

Will the Oilers’ stars continue to silence their postseason critics?

The Stars stand in their way.

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