Skinner allowed 3 goals on 20 shots, and he was clearly frustrated with the Oilers defensive efforts on two of the goals. Although they were skating off the ice with a 7-3 win, Skinner was smashing his stick and visibly ticked at his teammates.
The Canucks' second and third goals of the night were products of clear defensive breakdowns by the Oilers, just allowing an opponent to find open ice and wait for a clean shot. Skinner could've moved faster on the third goal, but three Oilers were packed into the slot with no one covering Suter. Skinner immediately threw his arms in the air.
Skinner hasn't had a great start to the season himself - really having trouble with consistently performing at his best - but Skinner was called out after last game, and this could just be him showing some emotion back. It felt a lot like Mike Smith, Skinner's old mentor.
Brett Kulak subtly called him out, so it's fair game for Skinner to give it back. That's accountability within the team, and it will bring out the best in every player. After the win, Kulak was the first player in o give props to Skinner.
Hopefully the Oilers can grow from this public back and forth between the players, and it'll certainly help that the team was able to bag a blowout win. The Oilers need to start stringing together some wins to climb back up the standings, and this moment can be a catalyst for the team.
POLL | ||
Do you think Skinner was right to be mad about the effort on those two goals against? | ||