Ex-NHL GM Doug MacLean bluntly calls out Stuart Skinner for not 'supporting' Connor McDavid during Stanley Cup Finals

Former NHL general manager Doug MacLean has criticized Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner for not providing enough support to Connor McDavid during the Stanley Cup Final series.

During an appearance on “Sportsnet 590 The Fan” on Friday, MacLean pointed out that in the playoffs, star players like McDavid need strong performances from their teammates to succeed. He said:

“It's hard on star players at playoff time to get over the hump. It really is. And you need a supporting cast. And that's the message he was sending, whether he said it or not. And I'll tell you what—if Skinner, Kapanen, and Arvidsson are your supporting cast, you ain't winning the Cup.”

MacLean then used past examples from his coaching days to explain that star players can be shut down if the rest of the team doesn’t step up.

“I am not saying that McDavid is my favorite player in the NHL. I absolutely love watching him play. But you need a supporting cast, because the Florida Panthers can shut you down. They can shut you down,” he said.

“And you know what? It's easier when you're defending a star player. It really is easier. I remember coaching against Jagr and Lemieux and Lindros and those guys, and Brian Skrudland was shutting them down—combined with a couple of defensemen who were very good shutdown guys.”

In the Stanley Cup Final, Stuart Skinner started five games, going 1‑4 with a 3.00 goals-against average and .889 save percentage, surrendering 21 goals on 187 shots. Across the entire 2024 playoffs, Skinner posted a 7‑7-0 record with a 2.99 GAA, .891 save percentage and three shutouts.

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Stuart Skinner opens up on individual performance in gutting Game 6 loss in SCF

The Oilers were beaten 5-1 by the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, ending their title hopes for the second straight year. Stuart Skinner started over Calvin Pickard but was pulled after allowing three goals.

In a postgame interview, Skinner opened up on the loss and his individual performance.

“In my opinion, I think I showed up the same way. I thought results changed, as they always do. But for myself personally, I stayed pretty consistent. I was in my bubble, I was doing my own thing," he said.

"It’s weird being a goalie sometimes in a team sport, because sometimes you feel like you’re an individual in a team game.”

In Game 6, Stuart Skinner made a crucial mistake in the second period that shifted momentum to Florida. A shot from Carter Verhaeghe bounced off the Oilers goalie’s glove and went straight to Aleksander Barkov, who scored for Florida to make it 3-0.