Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner addresses criticism of his play

Coach Knoblauch called out Stuart Skinner twice in the last month as criticism of his play reached a fever pitch, but the Edmontonian goalie is keeping calm.

Stuart Skinner's play cratered in the games just before the trade deadline, but then he pulled off a great performance in their last game against the Montreal Canadiens, with a .926 save percentage.

After the game, Skinner recognized that he needs to be much more consistent and bring that version of himself - instead of the one that frequently allows too many weak goals.

More than that, Skinner recognized that the trade deadline does bring on some off-ice anxiety, especially when his name is in trade conversations. He just wants to focus on stopping pucks, and now that the distraction of the deadline is over, hopefully he clears that hurdle mentally.

The biggest issue for Skinner is the consistency, so it's nice to see him recognize that he needs to bring the best version of himself every night.

The Oilers major concerns with Skinner heading into the playoffs is his weak performance against top 10 teams this season, as well as long bouts of inconsistency that may cost them a playoff series. Last season in the playoffs, Calvin Pickard was called upon to start.

By not trading for a goaltender at the deadline, the Oilers chose not to address their biggest relative weakness and will put the pressure on Stuart Skinner being an unlikely starter to carry them to multiple cup finals. Skinner is up to the task.