Stuart Skinner clearly responds to biggest weakness identified by NHL goalie analyst
Stuart Skinner's biggest weakness last season was allowing the most rush goals of any goaltender in the league, but this year, stats are showing a major improvement.
Earlier this season, NHL goalie analyst Steve Valiquette of Clear Sight Analytics revealed Skinner ranked last in the critical stat for success.
Stuart Skinner appears to have solved his biggest weakness as starting goalie
Valiquette of Clear Sight Analytics previously explained Skinner's poor lateral movement caused the major uptick in rush goals.
»The area that Stuart Skinner really struggles with is the east west game, whether it's at 5 on 5 in zone or off the rush. His movement side to side, is . . . You're talking about the top 64 guys in the league, he's the worst of those 64. . . I wonder if he doesn't get to east and west well enough to play all the way through and get them all the way through.»
- Steve Valiquette
This was a cause for significant concern, as Valiquette mentioned rush teams are often successful in playoffs.
Now, Valiquette's same company in Clear Sight Analytics has data supporting a major turnaround in Skinner's results off the rush. This season, Skinner ranks in the top 3 for rush chances.
It's unclear yet if Skinner's addressed the poor lateral movement, or perhaps found a more stable positional adjustment that can allow him to compensate for his speed. Regardless, he clearly saw an area to improve, and worked towards getting better results.
After a very rough start to the season where Skinner's save percentage dipped into Jack Campbell territory of the .870s, Skinner's steadily built back his save percentage to a decent .902.
The Oilers are a strong enough team offensively and defensively that they can survive with average goaltending from Stuart Skinner.
He just needs to keep those inconsistent stretches at bay, and keep working towards the goal of winning the cup for his hometown team.
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