Win or lose, one thing never changes—Stuart Skinner stays in the heat, and has been under the microscope for a minute now, but before we even get into that, let’s talk about the real story—Edmonton just walked into Madison Square Garden and left with a 3-1 dub against the Rangers. Leon Draisaitl? Yeah, he kept his ridiculous point streak alive, stretching it to 18 games with yet another assist. Oh, and Connor McDavid? Just casually extending his own point streak to 11 games. No big deal. Meanwhile, Skinner did what he does best—stood tall and shut things down with 21 saves, despite the noise swirling around him.
Because let’s be real, Oilers fans love a good goaltending debate, and lately, Skinner’s been the main topic. But he just keeps showing up, blockin’ shots, and proving why he’s still the guy between the pipes. On the other side, Igor Shesterkin did his best to hold things down for New York, but the Rangers just couldn’t keep up. Edmonton’s pushing forward, stacking wins, and sitting pretty in the Pacific Division. And Skinner? Well, he’s got something to say about all the noise surrounding him—because the backlash is growing, and he’s finally breaking his silence.
In a video shared by the Oilers on YouTube , he laid it all out there, saying, “Yeah, I think just how I want to show up even though that things aren’t maybe going as well as I’d like.” He knows the game’s got its ups and downs, and sometimes, “things are happening and I don’t have a lot of control over it.” But instead of getting caught up in frustration, he’s locked in on what really matters—his attitude, his effort, and how he reacts when things don’t go his way. Because at the end of the day, “it’s about how you react.”
He also knows how easy it is to be your own worst critic. “Sometimes you can get caught up in, you know, being hard on yourself and all that,” he admitted. But he’s working on giving himself some grace. “Just trying to be a little bit more kind to myself and trying to be a good teammate as best I can.” That’s the mindset—just keep showing up, keep grinding, and keep bringing your best, no matter what. Because, as Skinner summed it up perfectly, “Stuff happens, you know? It’s life.”
This story is developing…
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