Stuart Skinner opens up on battle with anxiety and high pressure games

During the first round series against the Kings, the Oilers have been by far the better team. Every part of this Oilers team has been fantastic, and in recent games Stuart Skinner has really stepped up for the Oilers. Skinner struggled at the start of the series but has looked like a whole new goalie in games 3 and 4. Skinner talks about how he stabilizes his mindset after a loss and how he's able to perform so well after a bad showing.

A huge part of goaltending in the NHL is the mental aspect. Goaltenders are known for being weirder than players on average and the mental aspect plays a huge part in that. Stuart Skinner attributes a huge part of his success to the sports psychologist he had in his draft year, which seems to be a theme for goalies in the NHL.

Sports psychologists are becoming an increasingly important part of the game, as goalies are figuring out how much of the game is mental. As a goalie you need to be able to shake off a bad performance, since all goalies have bad games. The better you are at bouncing back from a bad game, the more games you can play at your maximum capacity. This is what Skinner references in the video, as he talks about dealing with anxiety as a big issue in his draft year.


Skinner has been amazing in Edmonton's wins this series, as Skinner has recorded a .919 save percentage and a 2.48 GAA with one shutout. These stats are hugely beneficial for the Oilers' playoff chances, as their 1-0 victory was solely due to Skinner's amazing play. Because of the ability to overcome bad games that Skinner has exhibited for the Oilers in the playoffs, they've always had a chance to go far and contend for the Stanley cup. If Skinner continues to play to the level he has been, there's no doubt that the Oilers will excel in the playoffs and end up in a great position.