Oilers' Connor McDavid sends a message to Stuart Skinner doubters after his back-to-back shutout games

Connor McDavid reflecting on Stuart Skinner recording back-to-back shutouts against the Vegas Golden Knights. Skinner started the past two games with Calvin Pickard out due to an undisclosed injury.

He helped the Edmonton Oilers finish off the series and reach the Western Conference Final.

McDavid told NHL insider Ryan Rishaug:

“Hopefully it shuts a lot of people up who were talking about him.”

Stuart Skinner made 24 saves in a 1-0 overtime win in Game 5. He also shut out the Golden Knights in Game 4. It’s now unclear who will start once Pickard is healthy again. Skinner’s recent play has boosted his case after a poor start to the playoffs.

Kasperi Kapanen scored the game’s only goal at 7:19 of overtime. It came during a scramble near the Vegas net. The win sent the Oilers to the next round. They will face either the Dallas Stars or the Winnipeg Jets. Dallas leads that series 3-1.

Vegas' Brett Howden missed a great chance to score in the third period. The Oilers then had chances of their own, including one from Leon Draisaitl. Connor McDavid had his first shot late in the third period.

Vegas outshot Edmonton 9-6 in that period, but Skinner stood tall. The Oilers went 0-for-2 on the power play and are now 0-for-14 on the road this postseason.

Skinner’s calm play gave the Oilers the edge they needed. The team now has time to rest before the next round begins.

Stuart Skinner credited teammates for Game 4 shutout

Previously, the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 4 on Monday. Adam Henrique scored twice in the first period. Stuart Skinner made 23 saves to help the Oilers take a 3-1 series lead in that game.

Speaking to the media, Stuart Skinner gave credit to his teammates for blocking shots and playing strong defense.

"It felt great," Skinner said, via NHL.com. "All I can really say is thanks to the guys playing in front of me. They were amazing tonight and made my job easier. They were battling and blocked a lot of shots. The way we played defensively was superb. A lot of credit to the guys.

"You could just sense the energy. There was a lot going on, fighting and a lot of pushing around. A lot of momentum back and forth... I felt like all of us as a team really did that in those types of moments."

Evander Kane scored the Oilers’ third goal with captain Connor McDavid's assist. He returned to the playoffs after missing the 2024-25 regular season due to surgery.